Another group of biotech vaccines can alter animals body functions to safely and effectively improve productivity. Of all these biotech developments, new vaccines offer some of the most exciting potential for protecting and improving animal health. Vaccines stimulate an animal s immune system. They introduce disease-signaling proteins called antigens into the animal, so that its immune system produces antibodies. The antibodies remain in the animal, protecting it from disease.
Traditional vaccines have some drawbacks.
They use the entire disease-causing organism, in an altered form that does not transmit the illness. However, these vaccines contain unnecessary proteins which can cause bad reactions or side effects, and which may interfere with the animal s ability to generate antibodies. Genetic engineering allows scientists to find the genes which produce antigens. These organisms copy the necessary antigen in large quantities. There are no unnecessary proteins which might interfere with that process.