Latest news with #RiazAhmadShah
Mint
7 days ago
- Science
- Mint
India's first gene-edited sheep developed by Kashmir university researchers. All you need to know
Researchers at a Kashmir-based Agricultural university have produced India's first gene-edited sheep, marking a historic milestone in the field of animal biotechnology. The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) has called it a "ground-breaking scientific achievement". The edited sheep contains no foreign DNA, distinguishing it from transgenic organisms and paving the way for regulatory approval under India's evolving biotech policy framework, news agency PTI said. The team of researchers led by Dean Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, SKUAST-Kashmir, Riaz Ahmad Shah achieved the feat after a research of around four years. Shah's team had previously cloned India's first Pashmina goat- 'Noori'- in 2012, a milestone that garnered global acclaim. "This path-breaking development places India on the global map of advanced genome editing technologies and positions SKUAST-Kashmir at the forefront of reproductive biotechnology research," Shah told PTI, adding, it marks a historic milestone in the field of animal biotechnology. The gene editing was performed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and adhered to international biosafety protocols. Shah said the gene-edited lamb has been modified for the 'myostatin' gene - a regulator of muscle growth. 'By disrupting this gene, muscle mass in the animal is enhanced by nearly 30 per cent, a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in select European breeds like the Texel,' he said. For now this has been done at research level. 'The technique has multiple applications. We can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals. It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth,' Shah told The Indian Express. Gene editing, also known as genome editing, is a group of technologies that allow scientists to precisely change an organism's DNA. These technologies enable the addition, removal, or alteration of genetic material at specific locations within the genome. The development comes on the heels of the recent release of India's first gene-edited rice variety, endorsed by Union Ministry for Agriculture, and further cements India's growing prowess in genomic science, Shah said. "The introduction of this mutation through gene editing, and not through traditional crossbreeding, represents a technological leap akin to the revolution Artificial Intelligence is driving in the 21st century," he said. SKUAST-Kashmir vice-chancellor Nazir Ahmad Ganai described the achievement as the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in the country. "This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India. With gene editing, we have the ability to bring precise, beneficial changes without introducing foreign DNA, making the process efficient, safe, and potentially acceptable to both regulators and consumers," he said. Through gene editing, the researchers targeted a gene in a sheep variety that helps in boosting its muscle weight and gives heavier, almost 30 per cent more weight than normal sheep. This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India.
Mint
7 days ago
- Science
- Mint
India's first gene-edited sheep developed in Kashmir Agricultural university. All you need to know
Researchers at a Kashmir-based Agricultural university have produced India's first gene-edited sheep, marking a historic milestone in the field of animal biotechnology. The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) has called it a "ground-breaking scientific achievement". The edited sheep contains no foreign DNA, distinguishing it from transgenic organisms and paving the way for regulatory approval under India's evolving biotech policy framework, news agency PTI said. The team of researchers led by Dean Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, SKUAST-Kashmir, Riaz Ahmad Shah achieved the feat after a research of around four years. Shah's team had previously cloned India's first Pashmina goat- 'Noori'- in 2012, a milestone that garnered global acclaim. "This path-breaking development places India on the global map of advanced genome editing technologies and positions SKUAST-Kashmir at the forefront of reproductive biotechnology research," Shah told PTI, adding, it marks a historic milestone in the field of animal biotechnology. The gene editing was performed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and adhered to international biosafety protocols. Shah said the gene-edited lamb has been modified for the 'myostatin' gene - a regulator of muscle growth. 'By disrupting this gene, muscle mass in the animal is enhanced by nearly 30 per cent, a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in select European breeds like the Texel,' he said. For now this has been done at research level. 'The technique has multiple applications. We can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals. It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth,' Shah told The Indian Express. Gene editing, also known as genome editing, is a group of technologies that allow scientists to precisely change an organism's DNA. These technologies enable the addition, removal, or alteration of genetic material at specific locations within the genome. The development comes on the heels of the recent release of India's first gene-edited rice variety, endorsed by Union Ministry for Agriculture, and further cements India's growing prowess in genomic science, Shah said. "The introduction of this mutation through gene editing, and not through traditional crossbreeding, represents a technological leap akin to the revolution Artificial Intelligence is driving in the 21st century," he said. SKUAST-Kashmir vice-chancellor Nazir Ahmad Ganai described the achievement as the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in the country. "This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India. With gene editing, we have the ability to bring precise, beneficial changes without introducing foreign DNA, making the process efficient, safe, and potentially acceptable to both regulators and consumers," he said. Through gene editing, the researchers targeted a gene in a sheep variety that helps in boosting its muscle weight and gives heavier, almost 30 per cent more weight than normal sheep. This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India. "We have got the offspring from the mother, and one with the mutated gene is distinctly heavier than the non-mutated,' the vice-chancellor said adding that the DNA of the mutated lamb, which is now three months old, will be sent to foreign research labs for further verification.
News18
27-05-2025
- Science
- News18
'Leap Akin To AI Revolution': Kashmir University Researchers Produce India's First Gene-Edited Sheep
Last Updated: The edited sheep contains no foreign DNA, distinguishing it from transgenic organisms and paving the way for regulatory approval under India's evolving biotech policy framework In what is being called a 'ground-breaking scientific achievement", researchers at a Kashmir university have produced India's first gene-edited sheep. Marking a historic milestone in the field of animal biotechnology, the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) said the edited sheep contains no foreign DNA, distinguishing it from transgenic organisms and paving the way for regulatory approval under India's evolving biotech policy framework. The gene editing was performed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and adhered to international biosafety protocols. The feat was achieved by a team of researchers led by dean faculty of veterinary sciences, SKUAST-Kashmir, Riaz Ahmad Shah after a research of around four years. The same team had previously cloned India's first Pashmina goat – 'Noori' – in 2012, a milestone that garnered global acclaim. 'This path-breaking development places India on the global map of advanced genome editing technologies and positions SKUAST-Kashmir at the forefront of reproductive biotechnology research," Shah said. Shah said the gene-edited lamb has been modified for the 'myostatin' gene — a regulator of muscle growth. 'Gene, muscle mass in the animal is enhanced by nearly 30%, a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in select European breeds like the Texel. The introduction of this mutation through gene editing, and not through traditional crossbreeding, represents a technological leap akin to the revolution Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving in the 21st century," he said. He said adding the gene controlling muscle development was previously undertaken in the US, China and European Union. They expect the muscle mass of the sheep to increase with 'small modification of the gene", he added. Shah further said this achievement comes on the heels of the recent release of India's first gene-edited rice variety, endorsed by the Union agriculture minister, and further cements India's growing prowess in genomic science. 'BIRTH OF NEW ERA IN LIVESTOCK GENETICS' Nazir Ahmad Ganai, SKUAST-Kashmir vice-chancellor, described the achievement as the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in the country. 'This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India. With gene editing, we have the ability to bring precise, beneficial changes without introducing foreign DNA, making the process efficient, safe, and potentially acceptable to both regulators and consumers," he said. Ganai said biotechnology, in association with AI and other next gen technologies, is emerging as a key driver towards achieving a sustainable bio-economy for a developed India. Leading institutions like SKUAST-Kashmir can play a pivotal role in ensuring livelihood, food security, and sustainability for future generations, he said. 'This success is part of SKUAST-Kashmir's broader vision to build India's most advanced reproductive biotechnology facility, combining cutting-edge research with real-world applications for agriculture and animal husbandry. It also reflects the university's unwavering commitment to innovation, scientific excellence, and nation-building through biotechnology," he said. (With PTI inputs) First Published:
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Kashmir university researchers produce India's first gene-edited sheep: ‘Birth of a new era'
A team of researchers from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST) in Srinagar has produced India's first gene-edited sheep. The gene-editing of the sheep was possible after four years of research and will enhance the muscle mass of the animal by 30%, the researchers said. The breakthrough comes after the release of India's first gene-edited rice variety recently. 'As of now, this has been done at the research level,' said Prof Riaz Ahmad Shah, who led a team of five researchers at SKUAST. 'The technique has multiple applications. We can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals. It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth,' he said. The team of researchers edited the myostatin gene of the lamb that is responsible for regulating the growth of muscle in the sheep. 'By disrupting the sheep, the muscle mass in the animal is enhanced by nearly 30%, a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in select European breeds like the Texel,' Prof Shah said. 'The introduction of this mutation through gene editing, and not through traditional crossbreeding, represents a technological leap.' Earlier, a team of researchers at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) had developed a gene-edited embryo of a buffalo. 'This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India,' said Dr Nazir Ahmad Ganai, vice chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir. 'With gene editing, we have the ability to bring precise, beneficial changes without introducing foreign DNA, making the process efficient, safe, and potentially acceptable to both regulators and consumers.' The project was sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Shah said, 'The gene editing was performed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and adhered to international biosafety protocols.' The gene-editing technique, CRISPR, won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 'The edited sheep doesn't contain any foreign DNA, thus distinguishing it from transgenic organisms. This can pave the way for regulatory approval under India's evolving biotech policy framework,' he said. A veteran scientist, Shah is also credited with the development of the first cloned Pashmina goat, Noori, in 2012. The Pashmina goat survived for 11 years and produced seven kids. With a specialisation in Animal Cloning and Gene Editing, Shah has also played a key role in producing the world's first cloned buffalo at NDRI, Karnal. 'The government is already in the process of making regulations for gene-edited animals. Once that is done, and it is allowed at the farmer level, it will have a widespread application,' he said.
