Daniel 12:4 NLT “But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase."
A group of poultry producers are working with scientists to create a strain of genetically modified chickens that would be immune to bird flu.
The study is also being supported by funding from the British government. So far, the scientists have created chickens that show “early promise” for fighting off the disease.
Over 48 million chicken and turkeys have been put down in the US because of bird flu since December.
“The public is obviously aware of these outbreaks when they’re reported and wondering why there’s not more done to control it,” said Laurence Tiley, a senior lecturer in molecular virology at the University of Cambridge who is involved in the experiments, told Reuters.
The chicks in the study, who have been injected with dye to glow in the dark and stand out from non-modified chicks, are showing an initial immunity to the virus and also have been unable to spread the virus to other animals. The genetic codes of the birds are being changed to trick the virus into reproducing a decoy virus rather than itself.
GMO animals have been a source of concern for the Food and Drug Administration, who have been examining GMO salmon for the last 20 years. The agency deemed the animals safe for human consumption in 2010 but continue to study them.
Opponents say that like GMO crops the animals would contribute to health and environmental problems.
