The Red Angus Association of America announced Wednesday they will provide herdbook registry of Red Angus animals carrying gene-edited traits for heat tolerance and coat color. Both trait approvals originate from specific genetic alterations designed and submitted by Acceligen, a technology company pioneering commercialization of gene-edited food animals.
Acceligen has already bred and registered animals that express a trait known for better tolerance to tropical and sub-tropical heat. Black-to-red gene edits have also been made on multiple calves that will be born soon. These traits are a part of Acceligen's business portfolio that focuses on providing opportunities to the global cattle industry for better genetic management of animal well-being and health. Red Angus is the first beef breed organization to accept gene-edited animals into their registry.
Tom Brink, the association’s CEO, states, “In considering the future, we see an opportunity to accelerate the Red Angus breed's genetic progress by selectively allowing gene-edited animals into our population.”