The first genetically modified lamb in Spain by the CSIC

A group of CSIC researchers has obtained "Teodoro", the first genetically modified lamb in Spain, which was born with a mutation in a gene potentially involved in fertilization. This lamb will allow the study of reproductive failures in farm animals and be a model to understand fertilization in the human species, according to the center this Monday in a statement. Researcher Pablo Bermejo-Álvarez has pointed out that genetically modified animal models are "essential" to advance in the knowledge of any biological process, "including those involved in reproduction." Until the emergence of Crispr technology, the generation of these directed genetic modifications was carried out mainly in mice, since in other mammals it required "very complex and inefficient" techniques. Now, the INIA-CSIC research group is applying Crispr technology to generate this type of modification in bovine and ovine embryos produced completely "in vitro" to study the function of genes involved in different ...