British scientists have developed a technology that allows them to neutralize the sex of an animal through genetic editing, and prevent it from being born.
This method may prevent the brutal extermination of millions of animals each year in the UK alone, such as laboratory mice of a species that is not needed in experiments, or male chicks that are destroyed, as they cannot lay eggs.
In other words, genetic editing will create a reality in which only female chicks, for example, will hatch from the eggs, while embryos of the required sex will not develop.
Already today the UK government is considering allowing genetic editing in the livestock and agriculture industries.
The method is based on the neutralization of a specific gene involved in fetal development, by inserting a half "genetic editing molecule" called Crispr-Cas9 into the chromosomes of the father and mother.
If the goal, for example, is to have only female mice, the molecule will be inserted into the father's Y chromosome and the mother's X chromosome.
Because males have a Y chromosome and an X chromosome (while females have two X chromosomes), the genetic editing molecule inserted into the two chromosomes will neutralize them and prevent the male fetus from developing early in the fetal development (between 16 and 32 cells).
Thus, in fact, a mouse destined for extermination will not be born.
On the other hand, to create only male mice, the molecule will be inserted into both parents' X chromosome, so that no female mice will be born.
Only mice of the desired sex will be born, Photo: AFP
Scientists from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, believe that the method may also work in livestock (cows, sheep, etc.) and chickens, and the next step in their research is to transfer the experiments from the laboratory to the farm.
Dr Peter Ellis, one of the project leaders, declared the results could be "far-reaching in terms of animal welfare", adding: "Between four and six billion chicks are destroyed each year worldwide.
"We can formulate a system that instead of killing live chicks - creatures with a nervous system and perhaps also the ability to feel pain, their eggs will never hatch."
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us