Validation of Genome Edited Disease Resistant Pigs

Infectious disease is the biggest threat to global animal protein food security. As production intensifies the livestock industry becomes more vulnerable to devastating disease outbreaks affecting millions of animals. In this project, we target three viral diseases of pigs for which no effective vaccination or other mitigating strategy is available. We are using extremely precise genome editing technology in domestic pigs to introduce new versions of an important immune function gene, based on the gene of a wild pig species, which we hypothesise could improve the resistance/resilience of such pigs to three specific viruses (African Swine Fever Virus, Swine Influenza Virus and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus). This project will enable us to validate if any of these new gene versions confer improved viral resistance/resilience through disease challenge experiments. This project is an essential step towards commercialisation of virus resistant pigs and if successful, could result in PIC, a global UK-based breeding company, leading the world in supplying pigs with an enhanced ability to fight viral disease and contribute significantly to nourishing the world’s growing population.