Do you think the benefits to Human Welfare, are worth creating Transgenic Animals?

Right, so as you and I have talked of using ‘regular’ animals as being (for me, anyway) morally reprehensible, I do not feel comfortable and believe that humans would venture into transgenic animal usage without an ethical mind, whatsoever. I, myself, am for AI and transhumanism but I really don’t think our society will handle either in a just way.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Transgenic animals are regular animals with _Transgenic Animals
A transgenic animal is one that carries a foreign gene that has been deliberately inserted into its genome. The foreign gene is constructed using recombinant DNA methodology. In addition to a structural gene, the DNA usually includes other sequences to enable it

* to be incorporated into the DNA of the host and
* to be expressed correctly by the cells of the host.

* Transgenic sheep and goats have been produced that express foreign proteins in their milk.
* Transgenic chickens are now able to synthesize human proteins in the “white” of the eggs. _
This is quite interesting and possibly one of the most important discoveries to mankind.

If we could become effectively healthier by engineering animals for consumption, it would be a good thing. But it’s a waste of resources at best, and poisonous at worst. And there’s no reason to hurt animals when it’s not necessary. And I’m beginning to realize that it’s never necessary for food within a civilized structure.

Genetic modification for research for the sake of actual human welfare doesn’t seem to be a problem, though. Ethics is like a temporary patch; it only bridges the gap long enough for people to figure out exactly how to perform their questionable research freely without threatening balance of life. It has to remain flexible.

Yes, of course the benefits of using transgenic animals make them worthwhile. This question seems predicated on the assumption that there are some kind of obvious negative consequences to using transgenics… what are they, exactly?

@RANGIEBABY I know that some of this has been done – I’m just cautioning humanity, so to speak.

Honestly, just reading about this gives me goose pimples. When we begin to mess with genomes and DNA, we are in unchartered territory——perhaps with consequences that may not be seen for generations. I keep thinking of The Island of Dr Moreau . It’s great when the technology is in the hands of ethical people, but when it’s not…that’s when I begin to feel a bit squeamish.

Since I believe in Biotechnology and its benefit,then yes. We need to exploit anything that is exploitable(positive generalization,please) to enhance our human society even if we have to conduct experimentation on animals. Whether we like it or not transgenic creature are exist and most of them were invented to help human to combat disease(i.e. transgenic bacteria).

If we could make scientific research be 100% transparent, a lot of things would improve. Of course, the sacred “company secrets” would be compromised, but science of any kind seems to be a human heritage thing—even though it takes the efforts of only certain individuals. Imagine, if free-energy has already been developed, or could be developed but never brought to light. Animal rights is just a part of the problem, but it would make unethical practice impossible if everything the researchers did was broadcast to the world in real-time.

@zophu: You know that scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals are 100% transparent, right? Every detail of the methodology is submitted to the journal, published, and kept in the journal’s archives. Additionally, anything involving human or animal subjects is documented and thoroughly explained to an ethics board that grants or denies the researcher’s proposal to do the experiment.

@nikipedia there is a lot more that can be read on this subject, but I find it quite interesting and opens a whole new world of ways to combat diseases in not only humans but animals as well.

_Transgenic Animals
A transgenic animal is one that carries a foreign gene that has been deliberately inserted into its genome. The foreign gene is constructed using recombinant DNA methodology. In addition to a structural gene, the DNA usually includes other sequences to enable it

* to be incorporated into the DNA of the host and
* to be expressed correctly by the cells of the host.

* Transgenic sheep and goats have been produced that express foreign proteins in their milk.
* Transgenic chickens are now able to synthesize human proteins in the “white” of the eggs. _
This is quite interesting and possibly one of the most important discoveries to mankind.

@RANGIEBABY: Yes, I both saw when you pasted that above and already was aware of all of this information before opening this thread. I have personally used transgenic animals in my own research. I would still like it if you or someone who knows what you’re getting at could answer my question: what are the negative consequences involved in creating transgenic animals that concern you?

@nikipedia Personally I have not negative consequences. I would like to know if anyone else does though. So many folks are all for protecting the animals at any cost. That is not me. I believe God gave us a brain to use and research with, so we do what we can to improve life here on earth.

@nikipedia I was aware there were ethical requirements, but I thought that even those could legally be kept private except from the authorities involved—unpublished. Is all scientific research required to be published by law?

I could do tons of questionable research, discover incredibly important data, and publish only the definitive “re-research” that I would do afterwards to justify the safety of my product but clean it all up so it looks nice and none of my most important secret discoveries are exposed.

@nikipedia I would worry that these animals would be used not to benefit but for profit – as animals are being modified these days anyway – cows are pumped full of hormones so that they can be kept pregnant all year round in order to produce more milk..that kind of thing can be exponentially worse with transgenic ideas.

@zophu: Technically, I guess it depends on the funding source. Research funded by government grants is extremely transparent. The study design is disclosed in extreme detail before the research is performed at all, and if you plan to continue to be funded by any agency at all, it is absolutely imperative that you publish your findings. (This is not a requirement, but a matter of practicality.)

At least in the United States, any entity using any kind of vertebrate animal must abide by US federal laws regarding animal care and use. These are very strict and scientists do not take them lightly. You can read more about how animals are protected here , and humans here.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir: I don’t think that problem is unique (or even related) to transgenics. Humane treatment of all animals everywhere should not be optional.

@nikipedia No, it’s not unique but we shouldn’t have any more of these issues until we fix ones existing – but that, too, extends to much we’re facing right now, as humanity.

I believe with the use of transgenic animals, it may be a win, win situation.
Interestingly, the creation of transgenic animals has resulted in a shift in the use of laboratory animals — from the use of higher-order species such as dogs to lower-order species such as mice — and has decreased the number of animals used in such experimentation, especially in the development of disease models. This is certainly a good turn of events since transgenic technology holds great potential in many fields, including agriculture, medicine, and industry.

@DarlingRhadamanthus

Yes, when technology is in the hands of unethical people, it can have dangerous consequences. However, this can be said for just about anything. Give a knife to a psychopath and he might stab someone. That doesn’t mean we should avoid using knives.

To me, this is more about ethics than science. I would guess that this technology in the hands of ethical researchers would not harm the animals but allow them to contribute to human health through eggs or milk for example. However, science, especially in the U.S. is not in the hands of particularly ethical people. The prime goal for drug companies and other research groups is profit. They are willing to step on human rights and humanitarian treatment of animals. I do not want those people messing with the gene pool!

@Ron_C, even if you don’t believe me, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that almost all scientific research in the US is done by non-profit academic groups.