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Image of Alison Van Eenennaam holding a black calf in her arms as they pose for the camera.
Herding Innovation in Livestock
Alison Van Eenennaam uses genome-editing technologies to aid beef cattle production and animal welfare.
Herding Innovation in Livestock
Herding Innovation in Livestock

Alison Van Eenennaam uses genome-editing technologies to aid beef cattle production and animal welfare.

Alison Van Eenennaam uses genome-editing technologies to aid beef cattle production and animal welfare.

livestock

an artistic rendering of CRISPR/Cas9
Ten Years of CRISPR
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Jun 28, 2022 | 7 min read
This month marks ten years since CRISPR-Cas9 was repurposed as a gene editing system, so we’re looking back at what has been accomplished in a decade of CRISPR editing.
A rooster crowing in a tree
Domesticated Chickens Were Initially Friends, Not Food
Amanda Heidt | Jun 7, 2022 | 4 min read
Analyses of bones found across the world suggest that the birds entered human settlements more recently than previously thought. But they don’t seem to have immediately made their way to the table, raising questions as to why people started keeping them.
Photo of a tiger moth
Antibiotics Given to Moths Spur Upregulation of Growth Genes
Devin A. Reese, PhD | Mar 1, 2022 | 2 min read
A new study has identified a molecular tradeoff between growth and immunity in moths in response to the administration of subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics, a common practice in animal husbandry.
A gray wolf (Canis lupus) stands in a forest, with the background blurred.
Bill to Greatly Expand Wolf Hunting in Idaho Heads to Governor
Amanda Heidt | Apr 28, 2021 | 3 min read
If signed, the law would boost funding for independent contractors to kill wolves and would allow for more than 90 percent of the population in the state to be taken by hunters.
buri recombinetics hornell cow hereford bull polled genetically engineered talens gmo cattle livestock
Genome-Edited Hornless Cows’ Offspring Are Healthy: Study
Kerry Grens | Oct 9, 2019 | 2 min read
All six calves inherited the gene for preventing horn growth, but four also got a piece of the plasmid used to introduce the sequence to their dad—complicating regulatory approval.
Goats Prefer Happy Human Faces
Jef Akst | Dec 1, 2018 | 4 min read
Like dogs and horses, goats can discern happy from angry facial expressions. But whether these animals possess empathy remains unclear.
USDA Approves Edible Cotton
Jef Akst | Oct 29, 2018 | 2 min read
While farmers have the green light to grow the genetically engineered plant, FDA approval is still needed before the seeds are sold as food.
Deadly Swine Disease Spreads Among Pigs in China
Ashley P. Taylor | Oct 25, 2018 | 1 min read
Tens of thousands of hogs are being slaughtered to stop its spread.
The Superpowers of Genetically Modified Pigs
Kerry Grens | Aug 1, 2018 | 4 min read
Scientists have engineered swine that pollute less, fend off disease, and produce more meat, but you won’t find them outside experimental farms . . . yet.
The Breeds of Guard Dogs that Best Protect Livestock: Study
Jim Daley | Mar 12, 2018 | 2 min read
Preliminary results from a USDA study reveal that imported guard dogs outperform those traditionally used in the U.S. to fend off wolves and coyotes.
Infographic: Evolving Virulence
Andrew F. Read and Peter J. Kerr | Sep 30, 2017 | 2 min read
Tracking the myxoma virus in the wild rabbit populations of Australia has yielded insight into how pathogens and their hosts evolve.
Review: Homeopathy Does Not Help Livestock
Joshua A. Krisch | Dec 13, 2016 | 2 min read
An analysis of 52 homeopathic trials conducted on livestock since 1981 reveals a lack of reproducibility, rigor, and efficacy.
Superbug Gene Found on Pig Farm
Ben Andrew Henry | Dec 6, 2016 | 1 min read
Evidence of resistance to a “last-resort” drug for antibiotic-resistant bacteria is discovered among farm animals for the first time.
Antibiotic Affects Cow Dung
Tracy Vence | May 25, 2016 | 1 min read
Researchers assess some of the downstream effects of treating livestock with a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
Genetically Engineered Hornless Dairy Calves
Jef Akst | May 10, 2016 | 2 min read
Researchers use a gene editor to introduce an allele that eliminates the horned trait—and thus, the need for an expensive and painful process of dehorning—in dairy cows.
GM Calves Move to University
Kerry Grens | Dec 21, 2015 | 1 min read
The first two bulls genetically engineered to lack horns arrived at the University of California, Davis, for breeding.
Slip Me Some Skin
Molly Sharlach | Mar 1, 2015 | 4 min read
Scientists tracing the history of livestock breeding probe parchment documents for genetic information.
Reading Between the Pages
Molly Sharlach | Feb 28, 2015 | 1 min read
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin and the University of York excavate the genetic secrets contained in the DNA of old parchments.
A New Breed
Kerry Grens | Dec 1, 2014 | 4 min read
Genomics and advanced reproductive technologies have turned cattle breeding into a whole new animal.
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