Watchers
Science To Merge Human Genetics From Foreign
"Databanks" With Transgenic Goats,
Cows, And Sheep
Scientists have
been given permission to put human genes
into goats, sheep and cows for the next 20
years, to see if the animals will produce
human proteins in their milk.
AgResearch won Environmental Risk Management
Authority approval to allow scientists to
breed and keep genetically-modified animals
at the Ruakura research facility, near
Hamilton.
The work will begin with genetically
modified cows, and could be expanded to
genetically modified goats within the next
year.
Simon Terry, of environmental consultancy
the Sustainability Council, said he feared
Ruakura would become a "GM animal
warehouse" because there were no limits
on the number of animals.
Jon Carapiet, of GE-free NZ, said the
decision was the beginning of a
"mega-transformation" of New
Zealand agriculture.
AgResearch hopes human proteins made by the
animals could eventually be used to make
"biopharmaceuticals" to treat rare
human diseases and boost New Zealand's
income in the pharmaceuticals market.
Keeping GM goats will be a first for the
facility, and people who spoke at the public
hearing on the application were eager to
warn the company about goats' incredible
abilities to escape. Dr Suttie said any
human DNA used would almost certainly not be
from a traceable person. It was now
possible to build wholly synthetic human
genes in a test tube using information bought
from overseas databanks, he said.
Agresearch has said it will not use Maori
DNA because of cultural concerns.
Meanwhile, ERMA
is considering broader plans by AgResearch
to modify livestock to make antigens,
biopharmaceuticals, enzymes, hormones and
other products after the Court of Appeal
overturned a High Court decision blocking
the applications...--
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