Centuries of inbreeding have left many dog breeds with a severely limited gene pool, and this lack of genetic diversity is to blame for disorders like brachycephaly in bulldogs, hyperuricemia in dalmations, and cardiomyopathy in boxers. <\/p>\n
[David] Ishee is a breeder from rural Mississippi whos on a mission to change all this. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Youd think that to tweak the genome of an animal, some serious training and education would be necessarymaybe a post-graduate biology degree or several years working in the lab of a large genetics company. <\/p>\n
But in a prime example of both the democratization and demonetization of technology, Ishee taught himself to do genetic engineering right in his own backyard shed, using a kit and some DNA he ordered online. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In Ishees opinion, genetic engineering and selective breeding arent all that different. CRISPR doesnt allow us to do anything we couldnt do before. Its just a bit easier, cheaper and faster, he said. Breeding gives you a lot less control and fewer degrees of freedom. But as far as the ethics is concerned, youre doing the exact same thing. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When you think about genetic engineering, you think of PhDs in white coats working in multi-million-dollar labs. The idea of a dog breeder in rural Mississippi doing genetic engineering in his shed is insane. But thats how you know youre in the future, right? <\/p>\n
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog\/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Would You Want a Dog That Was Genetically Engineered to Be Healthier? <\/p>\n
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See original here: Centuries of inbreeding have left many dog breeds with a severely limited gene pool, and this lack of genetic diversity is to blame for disorders like brachycephaly in bulldogs, hyperuricemia in dalmations, and cardiomyopathy in boxers. [David] Ishee is a breeder from rural Mississippi whos on a mission to change all this. Continue reading
\nDesigner dogs? In pursuit of the perfect, healthy canine companion - Genetic Literacy Project<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"