加拿大科学家研究了新的奶牛性别控制方法

    　加拿大安大略省圭尔夫大学的博士Peter  Blecher以及他的父亲一起在研制如何选择奶牛的性别，这项研究似乎可以允许农民们使用人工受精的方式来选择他们需要的奶牛或者是猪的性别。这将会对整个农业造成极大的冲击。

　　但是Peter  Blecher博士称，没有一个发疯的科学家会使用基因技术来控制一种物种，我们只是消除精子中我们不需要的性别，我们并没有对基因物质进行变动，最终用来受精的精子根本没有被接触。这个已经申请了专利的技术就是使用一种可以聚集所有性别特定蛋白的抗体除去不需要的性别。这样可以提高奶农们对奶牛性别的选择性。

Sex  in  the  barnyard  may  never  be  the  same.

A  new  process  that  appears  to  allow  farmers  to  choose  the  sex  of  their  cows  and  pigs  in  artificial  insemination  has  the  potential  to  revolutionize  commercial  agriculture.

But  these  aren't  mad  scientists  using  genetic  technology  to  manipulate  a  species,  stresses  Dr.  Peter  Blecher,  whose  father  Stan  developed  the  process  at  the  University  of  Guelph.

"We're  just  removing  the  sperm  of  the  sex  we  don't  want,"  said  Blecher,  founder  of  Sequent  Biotechnologies,  whose  sperm-sexing  technology  inspired  a  recent  friendly  takeover  by  Microbix  Biosystems  Inc.  (TSX:BMX).http://www.microbix.com/

"There's  no  manipulation  of  genetic  material  at  all.  The  sperm  that's  used  in  the  ultimate  fertilization  is  untouched  in  any  way."

The  patented  technology  uses  an  antibody  that  can  clump  together  all  the  sex-specific  proteins  in  a  semen  sample  and  remove  whatever  sex  is  not  wanted.  That  can  mean  major  opportunities  for  producers  who  have  only  a  50  per  cent  chance  of  getting  the  sex  of  animal  they  want  through  artificial  insemination.

The  desire  to  pre-determine  sex  has  been  an  issue  for  centuries.

"Since  King  Henry  VIII  started  chopping  the  heads  off  his  wives  it's  been  something  that's  been  a  riddle  to  scientists,"  said  Blecher.  The  British  monarch  executed  two  of  his  six  wives,  blaming  them  for  not  being  able  to  produce  male  heirs.

But  while  baby  determination  is  an  ethical  minefield  among  humans,  it  represents  billions  in  increased  efficiency  to  livestock  producers  around  the  world.  For  example,  dairy  farmers  obviously  prefer  offspring  to  be  milk-producing  females.   (责任编辑：泉水)

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加拿大科学家研究了新的奶牛性别控制方法