According to a report by The Indian Express, scientists are developing a genetically modified cow breed that will be more heat resistant and have superior ability to adapt to hot living conditions. The ‘cows of the future’ will be used by making use of genomic tools which will make the cattle adaptable to hot living conditions to produce top-quality beef.
Genetic modification of an animal involves altering its genetic material by adding, changing or removing certain DNA sequences in a way that does not occur naturally. It aims to modify specific characteristics of an animal or introduce a new trait, such as disease resistance or enhanced growth.
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More than half the cattle in the world live in hot and humid environments, including about 40 % of beef cows in the US, researchers said. Scientists from University of Florida (UF) in the US are studying a more heat-tolerant Brangus cow – a cross between an Angus and a Brahman. Raluca Mateescu, an associate professor at UF, is part of the team that has received a three-year, USD 733,000 grant for this research. “The grant allows us to track down DNA segments from the two breeds and figure out which regions of the cow’s DNA are important to regulate body temperature,” Mateescu said.
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“This offers a powerful new approach to address the challenges of climate change and develop climate-smart productive cattle for a future, hotter world,” Mateescu added.
