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Genome Editing in Animal System to Support Sustainable Farming and Pest Control

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 23339

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Gerhart U. Ryffel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Cell Biology (Cancer Research), Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany
Interests: agricultural sustainability; agricultural biotechnology, gene manipulation; gene editing, gene flow, risk assessment; organic farming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Genome editing is a novel and precise approach for modifying the genetic background and altering the genome of living organisms. By mimicking natural mutations, its use should not cross species barriers and, thus, there may be less concerns regarding alterations to the ecosystem when applying this technique. While in plants, many successful approaches have been developed and have started to enter the market, genome editing in animal systems has not yet been applied on a broad scale, and no commercial commitments have been made so far. In this Special Issue, the potential as well as the concerns of genome editing in animal systems—from insects to mammals—will be explored. The main focus of publications should address its contribution to sustainable animal farming, but should also discuss its potential for pest control in agriculture and health control as well as for the eradication of invasive species in disturbed ecosystems.

The contributions may be either original research reports, reviews, or perspectives.

The main topics to be covered include, but are not limited to:

  • Genome editing in farm animals;
  • Genome editing in pigs for xenotransplantation;
  • Gene drive systems to combat invasive species;
  • Gene drive systems to control pest in agriculture and in health control;
  • Ethical concerns;
  • Regulatory aspects on a national and international scale.

Prof. Dr. Gerhart U. Ryffel
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • genome editing
  • sustainable biotechnology
  • animal breeding
  • pest control
  • gene drive
  • xenotransplantation
  • invasive species control
  • ethics
  • regulatory aspects

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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20 pages, 887 KiB  
Article
Gene Editing for Improved Animal Welfare and Production Traits in Cattle: Will This Technology Be Embraced or Rejected by the Public?
by Maria Cristina Yunes, Zimbábwe Osório-Santos, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk and Maria José Hötzel
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4966; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094966 - 28 Apr 2021
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 6740
Abstract
Integrating technology into agricultural systems has gained considerable traction, particularly over the last half century. Agricultural systems that incorporate the public’s concerns regarding farm animal welfare are more likely to be socially accepted in the long term, a key but often forgotten component [...] Read more.
Integrating technology into agricultural systems has gained considerable traction, particularly over the last half century. Agricultural systems that incorporate the public’s concerns regarding farm animal welfare are more likely to be socially accepted in the long term, a key but often forgotten component of sustainability. Gene editing is a tool that has received considerable attention in the last five years, given its potential capacity to improve farm animal health, welfare, and production efficiency. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of Brazilian citizens regarding the applications of gene editing in cattle that generate offspring without horns; are more resistant to heat; and have increased muscle tissue. Using a mixed-methods approach, we surveyed participants via face-to-face, using in-depth interviews (Study 1) and an online questionnaire containing closed-ended questions (Study 2). Overall, the acceptability of gene editing was low and in cases where support was given it was highly dependent on the type and purpose of the application proposed. Using gene editing to improve muscle tissue growth was viewed as less acceptable compared to using gene editing to reduce heat stress or to produce hornless cattle. Support declined when the application was perceived to harm animal welfare, to be profit motivated or to reinforce the status quo of intensive livestock systems. The acceptability of gene editing was reduced when perceptions of risks and benefits were viewed as unevenly or unfairly distributed among consumers, corporations, different types of farmers, and the animals. Interviewees did not consider gene editing a “natural” process, citing dissenting reasons such as the high degree of human interference and the acceleration of natural processes. Our findings raised several issues that may need to be addressed for gene editing to comply with the social pillar of sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genome Editing in Animal System to Support Sustainable Farming and Pest Control)
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Review

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16 pages, 1661 KiB  
Review
Sustainable Food Production: The Contribution of Genome Editing in Livestock
by Alejo Menchaca
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6788; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126788 - 16 Jun 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5102
Abstract
The growing demand for animal source foods to feed people has been pushing the livestock industry to increase productivity, a tendency that will continue throughout this century. The challenge for the coming years is to increase the food supply to ensure equity in [...] Read more.
The growing demand for animal source foods to feed people has been pushing the livestock industry to increase productivity, a tendency that will continue throughout this century. The challenge for the coming years is to increase the food supply to ensure equity in access to high quality food, while maintaining global sustainability including combating climate change, avoiding deforestation, and conserving biodiversity, as well as ensuring animal health and welfare. The question is, how do we produce more with less? Classical methods to enhance livestock productivity based on the improvement of animal health, nutrition, genetics, reproductive technologies and management have made important contributions; however, this is not going to be enough and thus disruptive approaches are required. Genome editing with CRISPR may be a powerful contributor to global livestock transformation. This article is focused on the scope and perspectives for the application of this technology, which includes improving production traits, enhancing animal welfare through adaptation and resilience, conferring resistance to infectious diseases, and suppressing pests and invasive species that threaten livestock. The main advantages and concerns that should be overcome by science, policy and people are discussed with the aim that this technology can make a real contribution to our collective future. This review is part of the special issue “Genome Editing in Animal Systems to Support Sustainable Farming and Pest Control”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genome Editing in Animal System to Support Sustainable Farming and Pest Control)
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19 pages, 3583 KiB  
Review
Genetic Technologies for Sustainable Management of Insect Pests and Disease Vectors
by Silvia Grilli, Roberto Galizi and Chrysanthi Taxiarchi
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5653; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105653 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4658
Abstract
Recent advancements in genetic and genome editing research, augmented by the discovery of new molecular tools such as CRISPR, have revolutionised the field of genetic engineering by enabling precise site-specific genome modifications with unprecedented ease. These technologies have found a vast range of [...] Read more.
Recent advancements in genetic and genome editing research, augmented by the discovery of new molecular tools such as CRISPR, have revolutionised the field of genetic engineering by enabling precise site-specific genome modifications with unprecedented ease. These technologies have found a vast range of applications, including the development of novel methods for the control of vector and pest insects. According to their genetic makeup and engineering, these tools can be tuned to impose different grades of impact on the targeted populations. Here, we review some of the most recent genetic control innovations under development, describing their molecular mechanisms and performance, highlighting the sustainability potentials of such interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genome Editing in Animal System to Support Sustainable Farming and Pest Control)
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16 pages, 293 KiB  
Review
The Ethics of Farm Animal Biotechnology from an Anthropological Perspective
by Philipp Aerni
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3674; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073674 - 25 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5686
Abstract
Over the past 11,000 years, humans have domesticated a wide range of animals for different purposes designed to serve the human economy, society, and religious activities. The resulting mutual dependence between humans and their domestic partners created anthropogenic landscapes designed to sustain and [...] Read more.
Over the past 11,000 years, humans have domesticated a wide range of animals for different purposes designed to serve the human economy, society, and religious activities. The resulting mutual dependence between humans and their domestic partners created anthropogenic landscapes designed to sustain and protect their members. In this paper, we review the literature on the latest insights in interdisciplinary anthropological research on the evolution of animal domestication and breeding and put them in the context of the contemporary ethical debate on animal welfare and the application of modern biotechnology to animal breeding. Opponents of the use of animal biotechnology tend to see breeders often as enablers of industrial farming that would seek selective business advantage at the expense of the environment and animal welfare. Many applications of animal biotechnology may, however, also help to address environmental and animal welfare concerns in an effective way. Moreover, recent archeological and genetic research findings on the history of animal domestication reveal a distinctive kind of mutualism in the human–animal relationship based on a gradual co-evolutionary process with clear benefits for both parties in the relationship. These insights challenge the popular Neo-Darwinian account of unilateral adaptation only benefiting the more powerful party. Instead, they support the hypothesis that humans do not just adapt, but actively shape the environment through cultural niche construction (CNC) that also involves care and protection for domesticated animals. These empirical findings should also be taken into account in the contemporary ethical debate on animal welfare, which has become increasingly detached from the real-world efforts to improve animal welfare through best practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genome Editing in Animal System to Support Sustainable Farming and Pest Control)
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