India's first gene-edited sheep developed by Kashmir university researchers

National desk:

A team of researchers from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST) in Srinagar has produced India’s first gene-edited sheep.

The gene-editing of the sheep was possible after four years of research and will enhance the muscle mass of the animal by 30%, the researchers said. The breakthrough comes after the release of India’s first gene-edited rice variety recently.

“As of now, this has been done at the research level,” said Prof Riaz Ahmad Shah, who led a team of five researchers at SKUAST. “The technique has multiple applications. We can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals. It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth,” he said.