Scientists in China are creating a breed of ‘super dogs’ with increased capabilities to that of a normal canine.
These ‘super dogs’ may be superior to normal canines but the purpose of the research is not for increased strength or speed, but to solve genetic issues.
The work could also see the problems of inbreeding in pedigree dogs be solved by a scientist from South Korea – and the techniques used could one day be used to eliminate genetic problems in humans too.
Okjae Koo at biotech company ToolGen has found a way to eliminate faulty genes that cause, for example, Parkinson’s Disease, using CRISPR gene editing.
The work builds on Chinese research that used gene editing techniques to create two “super beagles” with much more muscle mass than their relatives.
Many pure-bred pedigree dogs have mutations that cause discomfort of disease. Pugs, French bulldogs and other fashionably flat-faced pooches suffer from breathing difficulties and struggle to get enough exercise as a result.