Amarillo, TX - New research at WTAMU is putting the school at the forefront of genetic engineering. <\/p>\n
Scientists at WT are celebrating the successful birth of a cloned calf - their second this year. And these two recent successes represent major strides toward improving stock lines, and ultimately, our food supply. <\/p>\n
The word \"cloning\" tends to make many people uneasy, but in this sense, \"cloning\" is really just an expedited form of selective breeding. <\/p>\n
\"Alpha,\" a young bull, and \"Gamma,\" a days-old heifer, were recently born using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer. In simplest terms, that means putting a reprogrammed cell into a surrogate mother. The idea is that by systematically improving the gene pool, you can create better and stronger breeds, as WTAMU Associate Professor of Animal Science Dr. Ty Lawrence explains, <\/p>\n
\"We hope to create a new breed of cattle that currently does not exist. And this new breed of cattle will be a piece of the best of the best of the best from all existing breeds and their crosses.\" <\/p>\n
By isolating the most desirable traits, researchers can create higher-yield cattle more resistant to drought and disease, as veterinarian Dr. Greg Veneklasen says, <\/p>\n
\"It's not just about meat; this is about genetic disease, this is about infectious disease. This is a model that we've created that we can use ... we can use this model for many different things.\" <\/p>\n
And each new model is a step closer toward creating the ideal food animal. <\/p>\n
Alpha and Gamma, for instance, are both Yield Grade One Prime beef, which represents about one in 15,000 cattle. <\/p>\n
And advances like these are putting WTAMU on the map, as Dr. Don Topliff says, <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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