Cloned calves join GE ark

By KEVIN TAYLOR and the Independent

Dolly the cloned sheep has now been joined by Casey the Friesian calf and Britney the genetically altered hen.

The first genetically engineered calves in New Zealand have been bred with the aim of one day making high-protein, high-calcium milk.

And in Scotland, scientists have unveiled plans to clone chickens to lay eggs containing cancer-killing proteins.

Casey was the first of six Friesian dairy calves born at Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, last week after being cloned from the cells of one cow. But cloning has become commonplace for scientists, and Ruakura is full of cloned animals. The focus of genetics science is now on modifying genes.

The AgResearch scientists behind the experiment have a more research-oriented aim than their Scottish counterparts with the hens, but it is still genetic manipulation.

The head of Ruakura's transgenic cattle programme, Dr Phil L'Huillier, said the calves had an added gene called casein that is found in milk.

The aim was to study how it altered milk and what effect it had on proteins. The research might be useful in creating high-protein, high-calcium milk.

The births are part of a bigger long-term study of GE and cloning techniques to make animal improvements and produce pharmaceuticals and improved foods.

Dr L'Huillier said the research did not yet have direct consumer applications.

"We have several years' work here in terms of growing these calves up and starting to analyse the milk," he said.

But the births drew fire from Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, who said the research could damage or destroy dairy and organic exports.

She said the experiments raised animal welfare issues and were unsafe.

Dr L'Huillier denied the claims, saying the calves were in good health and happy, and were contained in a secure paddock.

Ms Fitzsimons said there was resistance in the European Union and in Asian countries to GE food, and consumers acted on perception more than anything else.

"The Dairy Board obviously thinks GE will give us competitive advantage, but all the market research shows there's no competitive advantage at all."

In Scotland, Britney the hen, as the future super chicken has been christened, made her debut on the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. She was joined by scientists who cloned Dolly and by executives from US biotechnology company Viragen.

The company has teamed with the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh to produce Dolly-style chickens which will be genetically primed to produce egg-white rich in gene protein types identified as necessities for treating cancer.

Herald Online feature: the GE debate

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