A news snippet tonight

Heard on TV 1 that there was a news item due to screen on the late news tonight about scientists developing a genetically modified chicken that was disease free.
Might be worth a look for those interested, or just curious.

GE has produced plenty of unexpected undesireable side effects in plants so I expect the more complex process of manipulating animal DNA will throw up a few surprises [:0] This item doesn't seem very convinced of the process :rolleyes:

Well I don't know how many watched this piece of news, but it was pretty interesting IMO. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110113/ap_on_sc/us_sci_bird_flu_1

and www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12176373

Stikkibeek;354145 wrote: Well I don't know how many watched this piece of news, but it was pretty interesting IMO. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110113/ap_on_sc/us_sci_bird_flu_1

and www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12176373

Definitely interesting but the BBC video raises more questions than it addresses. "Resisant in some way to bird flu..." , "feed the world's growing population for the next 20 years... (and then what :confused:).

The concern is that viruses survive and evolve but interlocking into a certain location on the DNA or RNA strand and they are very adept at modifying in order to move onto different DNA. This ability enables them to spread between differing individuals in a population or, more worryingly, between species, genuses, families, and so on . In modifying DNA as GE does, the resulting DNA is different to anything else which then presents an opportunity for a chance viral encounter to result in it's evolving to 'match' that new DNA structure. The result is a totally new virus - a potential 'super virus'.

In addition the insertion of genetic material in GE often involves the essential mixing of DNA between kingdoms thus presenting an opportunistic virus a stepping stone between animalia, plantae, fungi, bacteria and protista.

Sure, both the above examples are worst case scenarios but as past plagues and epidemics (and antibiotic resisance) demonstrate nature is well able to take an opportunity and capitalise on it, even without the help of humans dabbling at genetic manipulation [] [xx(]

It certainly makes an interesting new idea but although I haven't read it thoroughly yet it does pose some more questions.

One of the main vectors of H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza are wild birds on migrations.
The DNA modified chickens can still catch it from wild birds-but cannot pass it on to other chickens, so if you buy a flock of modified chickens-they can still catch AI from migratory wild birds and die.

The birds most likely to be in contact with migratory birds are going to be the Free Range and small holders birds, and those kept in external systems in hotter countries eg China, Indonesia etc where chickens and ducks are kept confined in cages or pens under open sided but roofed buildings. So these would need to be the GE ones and they will still die but not be able to pass on Bird flu to the more intesively housed birds with no contact to wild birds, but lots of contact through workers, contaminated water, feed, equipment vehicles etc So is it likely these owners would buy the more expensive GE birds, when they are still likely to die?

In interseting concept!
No worries in NZ-at least for the moment! No strains of Avian Influenza here...yet!

footnote; there are still plenty of outbreaks of 'bird flu' going on around the world at present!