World’s first gene-edited horses unveiled in Argentina
Argentinian scientists have unveiled the world’s first-ever genetically modified horses that can run faster and have bigger muscles.
The 10-month-old foals that look like ordinary horses were created in a lab using the controversial CRISPR-Cas9 technique. This technique allows experts to remove, add or alter sections of a DNA sequence.
Experts have revealed that the fully grown up foals will have better speed and improved power.
Though this genetic engineering might help riders win in Polo, it has started a controversial debate among horse breeders.
A former professional Polo player and a breeder from Argentina, Marcos Heguy, said, “The practice of gene-edited horses ruins breeders. It’s like painting a picture with artificial intelligence – the artist is finished.”
Kheiron Biotech, the company behind gene-altered horses, said that the technology has the potential to revolutionize horse breeding.
The Argentina Polo Association has banned the gene-edited horses, saying, “The technique takes away the charm. It takes away the magic of breeding.”
It remains unclear how the association will enforce the ban, since no mandatory tests currently exist to distinguish between cloned, genetically engineered, or conventionally bred horses.