Scientists have utilized gene editing techniques to identify and modify specific sections of chicken DNA that could potentially restrict the spread of the bird flu virus in these animals.
By altering a small portion of their DNA, researchers were able to partially limit the infection of chickens by the virus, although complete prevention was not achieved.
Remarkably, the altered DNA did not appear to have any negative effects on the health or well-being of the birds.
While this discovery is a promising advancement, experts emphasize that further gene edits would be necessary to create a chicken population that is completely resistant to bird flu, which is one of the most economically burdensome animal diseases worldwide.
A team of scientists from the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, and the Pirbright Institute employed gene editing techniques to modify the DNA segment responsible for producing the ANP32A protein in the chickens. During an infection, flu viruses exploit this molecule to facilitate their replication.
2023-10-10 13:48:03
Article from phys.org rnrn