Biotechnology in the pharmaceutical industry. The document focuses on the development and application of modern animal biotechnology based on new enabling techniques of animal tissue culture, genetic and protein engineering, enzyme and recombinant DNA technology, gene cloning, human and animal health, production of anti-microbial drugs, the general manipulation of genes by selective breeding and techniques such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer, etc. To date, genetic progress in livestock breeding programmes has relied either on breed substitution or upon the traditional quantitative genetic approach of testing and selection. The rate of progress possible is dependent upon selection intensity and generation turnover. Actual progress is usually lower than that theoretically possible.
Cloning provides a method of obtaining information without the delay of progeny testing.
Transgenic rabbits, sheep and pigs have been produced. The limitation at present is the knowledge of major single gene effects in farm animals and considerable effort will be required to identify such effects. There is only limited effort in this area on farm animals. The importance of considering the implications of genotype environmental interactions is raised.