Amidst all the concern going around that cows’ milk is bad for you, Chinese scientists have found a way to fix the problem: By genetically engineering cows to produce human breast milk. Is soy milk just not in favour yet?
Researchers at the Agricultural University in Beijing managed to produce milk with the same healthful properties as mothers’ milk. The milk itself was taken from a herd of 300 transgenic cows bred after inserting the human milk-making gene into bovine embryos. Safety tests are still being administered, but taste testers have described the product as “sweeter and stronger” than the regular old cow stuff and the scientists hope to see it on the market in three years.
It’s easy to imagine there being some kind of backlash to this, considering that “Cloned Cows Making Human Breast Milk!” sounds pretty science fiction-y. However, Professor Li Ning, director of the project, has already weighed in against the critics:
“There are 1.5 billion people in the world who don’t get enough to eat,” he said. “It’s our duty to develop science and technology, not to hold it back. We need to feed people first, before we consider ideals and convictions.”
Nathan
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 12:02 PMWow, this is kinda cool while being very worrying.
Nathan
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 2:47 PM^^ Hey hey! Looks like I’ve already been here… but not.
+1 on the great name ;)
Virus__
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 12:02 PMWell uh, that’s different.
But the real question is when will cows be able to make ice cream straight out of the udder like on the simpsons!
Cflow
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 1:58 PMSoft serve is available at the tail end…
Awnshegh
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 1:27 PMWe’re going to be the old fogeys in 20 years sticking to regular milk and paying extra for it. While kids are being raised on it – until they find a genetically transmissable disease from the gen-modded cows and we all end up growing horns.
mmm
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 3:14 PMwhat do the cows eat? rubbish?
Matt L
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 4:37 PMGrass… Cows eat grass. The good thing is, a good digestive system only allows specific elements into the production line of milk. So the milk is not grass, nor is it grass based, it’s just milk. I’m sure QC will be thoroughly checking the milk for unwanted bacteria. Good idea, could save us all.
TD
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 3:58 PMNo, the real question is when will they be able to make cows produce beer. Gee’s, what are you people thinking?
Deb
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 4:33 PMThey barely know what’s in human milk that helps babies thrive (compared to powdered milk and cow milk)so how did they magically get this engineered milk to have these properties?
Sounds like an exaggeration to me. They couldn’t possibly include all of the antibodies that a mother would pass on to her child. I mean it seems like it’s better than powdered milk but they really shouldn’t state that it’s the same as natural mother’s milk.
Steve
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 9:52 PMWhat are you talking about ‘they barely know what’s in breast milk.’ Any first year medical physiology textbook lists all the components. The problem was always the Immunoglobulin/Antibody component that until now was extremely difficult to synthesise artificially.
If the Chinese have figured out some way to do it, then more power to them, because this is a huge problem in the developing world. If they can freeze dry it like baby formula, then this is a huge boon.
james_whatsit
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 6:12 PMimplanted into the embryos… :O mutant human baby calves neone? ‘mumoo’
Franz
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 7:31 PMClassic china
Steve
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 9:49 PMBitty!