Scientists hope India's first gene-edited sheep holds key to solving mutton shortage

Scientists have shared an update on the health status of the first sheep to be successfully gene-edited in India, which has just marked its first birthday. 

The lamb, born last December in Indian-administered Kashmir, has been named Tarmeem—the Arabic word for modification or editing. Researchers at the university told the BBC that the animal was created using CRISPR technology, a gene-editing method that allows scientists to precisely alter DNA. 

The striving anima is kept in a private enclosure at Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural University in Srinagar alongside its non-edited twin sister.

The technique functions like molecular scissors, enabling the removal of gene segments linked to disease or poor development. "We extracted a number of embryos from pregnant sheep and edited a specific gene - known as the myostatin gene - which negatively affects muscle growth," researcher Dr. Suhail Magray told the publication.

The fertilized eggs were maintained under controlled laboratory conditions for two to three days before being implanted into a surrogate ewe.

"And then nature took over - 150 days later, lambs were born," he said. "Our aim was to increase the muscle mass in sheep and by knocking out the myostatin gene, we successfully managed to do that," he added.

After Tarmeem turned one earlier this month, Prof. Riaz Shah, dean of the faculty of veterinary sciences and the project’s principal investigator, shared an update on the sheep’s condition.

"It's growing well, showing normal physiological, biochemical and physical parameters," he said. "Tarmeem's muscle growth has expectedly shown a significant increase - about 10% - in comparison to its non-edited twin. I think it is likely to increase further with age."

Gene modification to tackle agricultural gaps

Sheep have been genetically modified or gene-edited for decades, primarily for scientific and medical research. Early examples include the UK’s “Tracy” sheep in the 1990s, which was engineered to produce therapeutic proteins in its milk. 

The eight-member team behind India’s first gene-edited sheep spent seven years working toward the breakthrough.

The researchers believe the success of the experiment could help address food security challenges in the Kashmir Valley, where annual mutton consumption is estimated at around 60,000 tonnes, while local production meets only half that demand—pending government approval for farming or consumption.

"Land is getting squeezed, water is getting depleted, population is growing but space available for growing food is shrinking," said Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai, the university’s vice-chancellor.

"Our state is deficit in mutton, but gene-editing can raise a sheep's body weight by 30%. This would be very useful for sustainable food production as it would mean fewer animals can provide more meat," he said.

If authorities approve the large-scale application of the technology, Prof. Ganai said it could be extended to sheep farming and potentially other livestock.

"Many institutions in India are working on pigs, goats and poultry. The future is bright," he added.

Gene-editing technology, first demonstrated in 2012, earned its co-inventors Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna the 2020 Nobel Prize and has transformed biological and medical research. 

Despite its promise, the technology remains controversial due to ethical concerns and its perceived similarity to genetic modification (GM). As the article notes, however, scientists stress that gene editing differs fundamentally from GM. Gene editing alters existing genes within an organism, while genetic modification involves introducing foreign genetic material.

By Nazrin Sadigova