WIKIMEDIA, NOAAMost farmed plants and animals are genetically different from their wild relatives as a result of domestication. From its beginnings through to the present day, this process has relied on the selection of individuals for breeding based on their expression of heritable characteristics such as disease resistance, faster growth, increased yield and, in the case of animals, improved feed conversion efficiency. The fact that such variation exists among individuals comes down to differences in their genomes and how these differences are expressed.
In the vast majority of cases, genetic variation among individuals arises from random events—most often mutations—over which breeders have no control. Typically, these random genotypic changes lead to decreased performance in agriculture and the culling of individuals from the population. Less frequently, but of critical importance, such changes can lead to improved phenotypes that can then be incorporated into breeding programs for genetic gain.
Working with random changes in the genomes of farmed plants and animals to make improvements in agriculture has served us well for thousands of years, but is a slow process.
What makes AquaBounty Technologies’ AquAdvantage Atlantic salmon unique among farmed animals is that its improved production characteristics (faster growth and improved feed conversion efficiency) are based on targeted changes to its ...
