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Context:
Scientists at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir have developed India’s first gene-edited sheep using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. The gene editing targets the myostatin gene, which regulates muscle growth, resulting in a sheep with approximately 30% greater muscle mass compared to normal sheep.
Key Details
- The mutated gene in the lamb enhances muscle weight, producing heavier offspring than non-mutated counterparts.
- The gene-edited lamb is currently three months old; its DNA will be sent to foreign research labs for further verification.
- The enhanced muscle trait is naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in European breeds like the Texel.
Context and Regulatory Outlook
- Recently, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released India’s first gene-edited rice varieties developed using the same CRISPR-Cas9 technology by ICAR scientists.
- The gene-edited sheep contains no foreign DNA, differentiating it from transgenic organisms.
- This distinction facilitates regulatory approval under India’s evolving biotech policy framework.
