UK Researchers Developing Influenza-Resistant Birds

New submitter ravensmith0821 writes: UK researchers are working on disease-resistant chickens, adding a gene to eggs before they hatch that renders the bird less susceptible to avian influenza. Reuters reports: "Their research, which has been backed by the UK government and top chicken companies, could potentially prevent repeats of this year's wipeout: 48 million chickens and turkeys killed because of the disease since December in the United States alone. But these promising chickens - injected with a fluorescent protein to distinguish them from normal birds in experiments - won't likely gatecrash their way into poultry production any time soon. Health regulators around the world have yet to approve any animals bred as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for use in food because of long-standing safety and environmental concerns."

Comments

One has to wonder why they don't have that gene

[Opportunist]

I mean, ok, with many other genes we introduce to organisms, there's a reason this won't be part of a genetic makeup developed by natural selection. There is no reason for bacteria to produce insulin, that's something we want them to do, that has no benefit for the bacteria themselves. And a terminator gene that ensures its seeds won't germinate is certainly nothing that would survive long in nature, it's something seed manufacturers want to ensure their customers come back and buy more instead of setting aside some for next year.

But why wouldn't such a gene that allows a species to be resistant against something detrimental to its health develop naturally? One should assume that such a gene should already be part of their genetic makeup. Such individuals would have a significant advantage over others who die from the bird flu.

One really has to wonder what the drawback of having that gene is...