Kashmiri scientists create India’s first gene-edited sheep without foreign DNA

May 29, 2025 by News Desk

Firdous Qadri

Scientists at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-K) have successfully produced India’s first gene-edited sheep using CRISPR-Cas9 technology—without introducing any foreign DNA.

This breakthrough places SKUAST-K at the forefront of reproductive biotechnology in India.

Led by Dr. Riaz Ahmad Shah, the same team that cloned the world’s first Pashmina goat “Noori” in 2012, the project edited the myostatin gene to enhance muscle growth. The lamb, now over three months old, shows 30% more muscle mass than its non-edited sibling.

“This is not a GMO,” Dr. Shah clarified. “We’ve made precise edits within the animal’s own DNA, making it safer and potentially easier to regulate.”

Vice-Chancellor Dr. Nazir Ahmad Ganai called it the dawn of a new era in livestock genetics, noting the lamb’s potential to boost meat production, improve disease resistance, and enhance reproductive traits.

Funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the project may soon benefit farmers nationwide once regulatory approvals are in place.

“This is science with a purpose,” said Dr. Ganai. “It’s about improving livelihoods through innovation.”