The Project Directorate on Poultry (PDP), Hyderabad, under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed transgenic chicken for therapeutic purposes by transferring a gene from a different species into chicken.
A team, led by senior scientist T.K. Bhattacharya, transferred the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene of jellyfish ( Aequorea Victoria), to produce the transgenic chicken.
“This transgenic chicken is not edible but is for therapeutic use in fighting viral diseases and cancer, AIDs and Parkinson's disease,” Dr. Bhattacharya told The Hindu from Hyderabad.
This is the first time this has been done in India. Transgenic chicken was developed in the U.S., U.K., Canada and in China.
The PDP has succeeded in standardising the technique for developing transgenics in chicken. This technology will further cater to developing transgenic chicken for production of therapeutic proteins for human and animal use.
The ICAR has applied for a process patent for its work.
