Researchers at the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil are studying how cows can produce insulinfor humans.
Moo-ving the needle: In the study, scientists in Brazil inserted a segment of human DNA coding for proinsulin into 10 cow embryos. The embryos (which were implanted into normal holstein cows) resulted in a transgenic calf, with the human DNA expressed in mammary tissue.
When the cow reached maturity, the team attempted to impregnate the cow with artificial insemination, though it proved to be unsuccessful. However, small quantities of milk produced through hormone stimulation contained traces of human proinsulin and insulin.
Soundbite: “Mother Nature designed the mammary gland as a factory to make protein really, really efficiently. We can take advantage of that system to produce a protein that can help hundreds of millions of people worldwide. — Matt Wheeler, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois.
Bottom line: While the true amount of insulin a cow can produce is unknown, the study suggests a single cow can produce more than 1.4M units of insulin per day.
Where this goes: More testing is needed, with the team aiming to clone the cow again in hopes of having full milk production from the new cows.
But the team suggests a small herd (about 100 cows) could eventually produce enough insulin to supply the world for a whole year.
That could significantly increase competition—and thus lower prices—for diabetics.
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Congress to EPA: What’s Your BEEF with Meat Packers?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new regulations that take aim at meat and poultry processors.
And some members of Congress have a BEEF with the EPA’s proposals.
The proposed rules: In late January, the EPA released the details of its proposed “Clean Water Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point source category.”
Huh?
Basically, the EPA formally published its proposals to combat wastewater contaminants that come from slaughterhouses.
Okay… that makes more sense.
At the heart of the rules proposal is a concern from environmental groups about nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants that originate from slaughterhouses. In some cases, the wastewater goes directly into waterways. In other cases, the water goes to municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
But not everyone is on board with the EPA’s suggestions…
Congress responds: Last week, two U.S. representatives—Eric Burlison (MO) and Ron Estes (KS)—pushed back against the EPA and introduced the “Banning EPA’s Encroachment of Facilities (BEEF) Act.” If passed and signed by President Biden, the law would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the rule.
According to the lawmakers, the proposed rules place undue burden on small processors—costs that can be absorbed by larger companies.
Soundbite: “The… proposed regulation isn’t just an attack on family-run small businesses, it’s an attack on rural communities,” said Burlison. “These meat and poultry processors are the lifeblood of our communities. The BEEF Act… lets these hardworking Americans do what they do best, produce safe, affordable food for our families.”
University of Illinois Makes Big Mooves in Milk Production
Pump it up: Scientists led by Matt Wheeler at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are...