The potential benefits of transgenic animals, however, do not stop at food production. Scientists created the first transgenic animals to advance basic biomedical research, genetically modifying lab rats, mice, rabbits, and monkeys to give them characteristics that mimic human diseases. Moreover, researchers now seek ways to genetically modify the organs of animals, such as pigs, for possible transplantation into humans. And finally, transgenics can turn animals, such as cows, sheep and goats, into pharmaceutical factories that produce in their milk protein-based drugs such as alpha antitrypsin, a protein that can be used to treat cystic fibrosis. Despite these benefits, genetic engineering of animals has met with some of the same resistance already aimed at designer crops.
Critics cite ecological concerns, ethical objections and food-safety issues.
But no matter how transgenics is applied, the Food and Drug Administration will play a key role in regulating the products resulting from this rapidly emerging genetic technology. This means that any drug or biologic created through transgenic techniques will need to undergo the same FDA scrutiny as any other treatment that a company wants to market, including clinical trials that demonstrate safety and effectiveness. And while it's still too soon to tell how quickly foods derived from transgenic animals will move to the market, FDA has already begun to focus on how it will ensure that they meet the same safety standards as traditional foods. Making a Transgenic Animal Making a transgenic animal is deceptively simple, especially when compared to traditional breeding approaches. In traditional breeding, when farmers or breeders want to introduce some new characteristic into a type of animal, they must find an individual animal that carries the desired trait.