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.
The team of researchers edited the myostatin gene of the lamb that is responsible for regulating the growth of muscle in the sheep.
“By disrupting the sheep, the muscle mass in the animal is enhanced by nearly 30%, a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in select European breeds like the Texel,” Prof Shah said. “The introduction of this mutation through gene editing, and not through traditional crossbreeding, represents a technological leap.”
Earlier, a team of researchers at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) had developed a gene-edited embryo of a buffalo.
“This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India,” said Dr Nazir Ahmad Ganai, vice chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir. “With gene editing, we have the ability to bring precise, beneficial changes without introducing foreign DNA, making the process efficient, safe, and potentially acceptable to both regulators and consumers.”
The project was sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Shah said, “The gene editing was performed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and adhered to international biosafety protocols.” The gene-editing technique, CRISPR, won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
“The edited sheep doesn’t contain any foreign DNA, thus distinguishing it from transgenic organisms. This can pave the way for regulatory approval under India’s evolving biotech policy framework,” he said.
A veteran scientist, Shah is also credited with the development of the first cloned Pashmina goat, Noori, in 2012. The Pashmina goat survived for 11 years and produced seven kids. With a specialisation in Animal Cloning and Gene Editing, Shah has also played a key role in producing the world’s first cloned buffalo at NDRI, Karnal.
“The government is already in the process of making regulations for gene-edited animals. Once that is done, and it is allowed at the farmer level, it will have a widespread application,” he said.
