In applied animal studies, the work is leading to better health for pets, livestock and people. Nature is the master of genetic shuffling and is constantly sorting and resorting DNA, causing both subtle and profound changes in all living things. People first began their own DNA management thousands of years ago, when they began crossbreeding plants to produce better foods or fiber. Since then, researchers have learned how to move genetic material in the form of DNA from one plant or animal to another. They can also take DNA from an animal and place it in a plant, and vice versa.
Genetic modification is much more precise than selective breeding.
By transferring only certain genes from one plant or animal to another, researchers can introduce one specific trait without also transferring dozens of unwanted traits, as often occurs in selective breeding. And genetic modification is the only existing tool available for producing certain vaccines, drugs and diagnostics. As with most new technologies, genetic modification raises concerns, including the potential for creating undesirable effects in the food supplies of humans and wildlife and for creating herbicide resistance in weeds and pesticide resistance in insects. A number of campus research projects are aimed at identifying just such possible health or environmental risks. Genetic modification research projects at UC Davis must comply with food and environmental safety regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.