Researchers at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology have produced India's first gene-edited sheep, marking a historic milestone in the field of animal biotechnology.
The researchers used a gene-editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 to tweak a muscle-regulating gene called myostatin in the lamb during its embryonic stage.
A lamb born five months ago at a university farm in Srinagar is India's first gene-edited sheep that scientists say marks a step towards developing hardier and meatier livestock breeds.
The feat was achieved by a team of researchers led by Dean Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, SKUAST-Kashmir, Riaz Ahmad Shah after a research of around four years.
Shah's team had previously cloned India's first Pashmina goat, Noori in 2012, a milestone that garnered global acclaim.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff