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In 1900, the global population was approximately 1.6 billion. Now, at the beginning of a new century, this number has surged to 6 billion, and, according to the United Nations will reach 10 billion by 2030.
Society has always relied on living things for food, shelter, clothing and fuel, and our demand for these resources will increase as the world's population continues to explode. Biotechnology provides new tools for improving animal health and increasing animal productivity, all of which are key to sustaining our growth.
Using biotechnology to increase the productivity of our animals is a variation on the age-old practice of selective breeding. Genetic modification of animals by humans has already created all of our domesticated livestock and companion animals, from Rhode Island Reds and Holsteins, to Chihuahuas and Great Danes.
Today, this process is accomplished with in vitro fertilization. Scientists select individual animals that possess useful traits; then, instead of modifying the animals through breeding, they collect eggs and sperm and allow fertilization to occur in a laboratory dish. The fertilized egg develops into an embryo and after a few days, the embryo is implanted into a female.
Now scientists are taking the next step and developing transgenic animals - animals with genes inserted from another organism - to provide solutions for disease treatment, organ transplant shortage and food production. In some cases, biomedical researchers are modifying mammals to produce therapeutic proteins - such as those already used to treat cancer, heart attacks, hemophilia, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases - in their milk. Other scientists are modifying pigs so that organs transplanted into humans (through a process called xenotransplantation) will not be rejected.
For farmers and consumers, transgenic animals offer the hope of increased supplies of meat, milk and eggs that are more nutritious and allow farmers to raise animals with less feed and have less impact on the environment.
Aquaculture
Increased public demand for seafood and dwindling natural marine habitats have encouraged scientists to study ways that biotechnology can increase the production of marine food products, making aquaculture - the growth of aquatic organisms in a controlled environment - a growing field of transgenic animal research. Transgenic technology allows scientists to identify and combine traits in fish and shellfish to increase productivity and improve quality. Scientists are investigating genes that will increase production of natural fish growth factors as well as the natural defense compounds marine organisms use to fight microbial infections.
Biotechnology is also improving food productivity through the development of feed additives, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical agents.
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