Tuberculosis-Resistant Cows Are A Thing Now, Thanks To CRISPR

Researchers from China’s Northwest A&F University used the gene-editing technology CRISPR to create 11 cows whose added genes made them resistant to a TB-causing bacterium. Throughout various experiments, including real-world exposure to the germ, the TB-proof cows lived up to their name. They showed fewer signs of infection and less bacterial growth than a control bovine group. And in a move that could have even bigger implications for the development of gene-editing in animals and humans alike, nine of the cows were bred using a newer form of CRISPR that the researchers said reduced the risk of side effects like unintentional genetic mutations.