1.Gene Editing
We have generated three gene edited pig lines for improved meat production and growth performance. The first was generated in September 2014 by using CRISPR/Cas9 coupled with homologous recombination to knock out myostatin (MSTN) in Hubei white pigs. It was named “China Super-lean 916” according to the date it was born. The second was a replacement in molecular level that was done by using IGF-I to swap MSTN coding sequence so as to express IGF-I via the cis-acting elements of endogenous MTSN. It was named “Zhonghu No. 1”. The third was called “ω3 pig” as it was transformed by integrating desaturase gene into pig genome to enhance the synthesis of long polyunsaturated fatty acid like DHA and EPA. All these three lines of pig have been into biosafety assessment overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, China.
2.Animal Functional Genomics
We are also seeking more functional genes for gene edited pig generation. Genes involved in growth performance are important for the genetic improvement of Chinese indigenous pigs, which are demerited by slow growth and low feed conversion. Meat quality is the another phenotype that we wish to optimize so as to meet the requirements of human consumption for healthier food. Disease resistance genes are the newly emerging players that can be harnessed to confer livestock resistance to pathogen infection. By coupling functional genomics with gene editing technology, we are able to create more new lines of livestock for smarter and more precise animal sector.
3.Developmental Biology
Somatic cell reporgramming is a key step for animal cloning. Insight into this biological process will expedite the development of high-efficiency animal cloning and help multiply this technology to end users. We are looking at this process from a variety of dimensions including geneic, epigenetic and enviromental factors. We developed new methods for in vitro oocyte culture. We made a comprehensive comparison of different sources of donor somatic cells uopn the success rate of cloning. We established reliable platform for the manipulation of porcine and rodent embryos at large scale.
