As agriculture has evolved over thousands of years, so have the tools farmers use to raise the crops and livestock that nourish us.    

For instance, today we farm with tractors instead of wooden hand tools, and we use computers instead of paper and pen, which allows farmers to track and raise healthier crops and livestock.    

Simply, our ability to grow high-quality food has become more precise and continues to evolve as we better understand the needs of farmers, animals, people and the planet. An example of continued progress that can make farmers more precise is a technology called gene editing.  

Gene editing allows scientists to make precise edits to a small portion of DNA to eliminate disease or repair damaged cells. ​While these edits happen at a microscopic level, they have the potential to make a significant positive impact on our world.  

Gene editing is not the same thing as genetically modified organisms, also known as GMOs. But what is the difference?   

In gene editing, nothing foreign is added. The edit happens on a microscopic level by precisely deleting a specific portion of DNA, which can lead to reducing illness in animals or make crops tastier and more nutritious.  

Unlike gene editing, GMOs are created by introducing foreign DNA to modify the genetic code.   

“As someone that’s worked in the field of genetics for over 30 years, I think gene editing is an exciting development because it allows you a lot more precision in terms of where you’re able to make alterations in the genome,” said geneticist Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, Professor of Cooperative Extension in Animal Biotechnology and Genomics at UC Davis.  

A good example of gene editing is the PRRS-resistant pig. To breed pigs that are resistant to a devastating swine disease called PRRS, scientists precisely removed a portion of a specific gene that the PRRS virus uses to infect the pig. Nothing foreign was added and no genes were inserted.    

Think of the genetic entry point like a necklace with nine beads. The virus can only attach to one specific bead, the fifth bead. If we remove this bead, the virus has nowhere to connect to, protecting the pig from infection. The result is PRRS-resistant pigs. This isn’t a change to the pork, it’s a change to how pigs are protected from a devastating disease.  

And this doesn’t mean pigs are raised in a lab. Rather, like humans inherit eye color from their parents and grandparents, pigs inherit resistance to the PRRS virus through traditional breeding, all thanks to the original gene-edit that was made years ago.  

“What does gene editing really do? Well, it enables you to go in and focus on specific genes in the genome and potentially inactivate them or turn them off so that they don’t produce a protein that creates an otherwise undesirable effect,” said Dr. Van Eenennaam.   

Studies have shown that gene editing can be used responsibly to protect pigs from the PRRS virus. And by removing PRRS, we can also improve animal welfare, reduce the need for antibiotics and the environmental impact.   

“Now, I realize I’m a geneticist, but I think that genetic disease resistance is a better way to approach this disease than having sick animals or needing to vaccinate them every year or other non-permanent solutions to this problem,” said Dr. Van Eenennaam.  

There are currently more than 500 gene-edited crops under development worldwide. Gene editing is being used to achieve disease resistance, improve nutritional content, eliminate seeds in produce, make crops more tolerant to drought and reduce food waste – all without adding any foreign DNA. The PRRS-resistant pig will be among the first gene-edited proteins. 

Both gene editing and GMOs can be used in modern agriculture, but the difference between the two technologies is an important one.   

Gene editing is a new tool that is already offering breakthrough solutions for animals, farmers, people and the planet.