Testing embryos for Th and Pha

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knabe

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Yes. A professor at cal poly was studying this years ago.  I posted a link on here about that quite a whole ago. All you need is a cell or two, rolling circle pcr, the knowledge not to destroy the embryo, or to refresh it or test before freezing etc. not sure what became of his research, whether they got appropriate  licensing etc.


It's probably past time that one really needs pha animals. Th animals are still "needed" to produce hair and the absence of a hock joint (kidding) and plus, aj needs it so he can take carriers to Denver. 

 

knabe

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don't know.

transova would be a good place to start asking.

realize one has to tease off some cells at an early enough cell number stage that they can be replaced without affecting any subsequent cell fate.

it's probably not necessary at this point to create embryo's to do this.

I guess the only ones I would keep are ones that are carriers for both, then clone. there really is no point in keeping free ones from these two defects as it has easily been proven that this path is useless unless one is using Dalton, paramount, or another original carrier for a very specific reason.

I think you would be far better off buying something like cowtown or any other proven clone from a steer, and then making clones and steering them all. or buy a female that has already been proven to be magic at the end of her life and clone.

a lot easier logistically and probably more consistent than going through the trouble of breeding carriers.

 

LLBUX

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Some folks can't help but want to breed or buy carrier animals for the perceived show ring benefits, and many carrier females are bred to carrier bulls.

My thought process was to avoid the possibility of losing 1/4 of your calf crop by mating known carriers.      I know some folks that see it as just another cost of doing business

TH and PHA calves are horrible to see, so I thought maybe there could be a test to avoid implanting affected homozygous embryos.

I would think it would give added value to sell embryos or recips that are either genetically free of the defects or that are carriers, but not homozygous for the genetic defects and will die a horrible death.

It would open up breeding options as well.


 

Medium Rare

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I just scrolled through an online sale this morning that reminded me of this thread.

With all the costs involved in the process, I can't believe CxC embryos would have much value.
 

knabe

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It would probably be a better idea to make some test tube testicles that makes semen and edit the strand that is not mutated to mutate it so the semen is homozygous. Also add in a gene that makes offspring sterile.
 
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