Overview on Goats:

Goats are creatures that are typically raised as livestock after domestication. They are closely related to the common sheep, commonly used for its milk, meat, fur an skins worldwide. In addition, their hide has been used for waater and wine bottles in both traveling and transporting wine for sale, as well as to produce parchment. Wilder goats typically reside in mountain habitats and are quite resillient thanks to their ability to survive on scarce vegetation, their agility and their ability to grip on the mountainous terrain with their hooves.

Origins of Goat Domestication:

Goats were domesticated from the wild goat, located in both Southwest Asia and Easter Europe. They are one of the earliest domesticated species of animal ever recording based on archeological evidence. Goat remains have been found at various archeological sites in various regions in Western Asia between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago. Their earliest domestication occured in Iran around 10,000 years ago.

Fun Facts About Goats:

  • Female Goats are referred to as does or nannies.
  • Intact males are called bucks or billies while castrated males are called wethers.
  • Juvenlie goats of both sexes are called kids.
  • Each breed of goat has specific weight ranges, varying from 20 kg to over 140 kg.
  • Goats reach puberty between three and fifteen months of age, breed-dependent.
  • Goats have a very diverse diet, willing to eat almost anything remotely resembling plant matter.

What is CRISPR Technology?

CRISPR is an acronym for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. It is a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria and archaea. They are used to detect and destroy DNA from similar bacteriophages during subsequent infections. Hence these sequences play a key role in the antiviral (i.e. anti-phage) defense system of prokaryotes and provide a form of acquired immunity.

Cas9 (or "CRISPR-associated protein 9") is an enzyme that uses CRISPR sequences as a guide to recognize and cleave specific strands of DNA that are complementary to the CRISPR sequence. Cas9 enzymes together with CRISPR sequences form the basis of a technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 that can be used to edit genes within organisms. This editing process has a wide variety of applications including basic biological research, development of biotechnological products, and treatment of diseases. The development of the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique was recognized by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020.

Why CRISPR Goats?

CRISPR goats are essentially genetically modified from their original counterparts using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. This technology is used because The CRISPR/Cas9 system is effective in the genome editing of large animals, which are used in biomedical and agricultural applications. As one example of a practicaly use, some goats are genetically modified to increase the meat and wool they produce. Uses of genetically modified goats also include the ability to aid digestion and fight dirrhea, as well as to produce cancer-fighting drugs.