The rise of biotechnology has taken animal manipulation to an entirely new level. And the results can vary from the beneficial to the profitable to the absurd.
Emily Anthes is a science journalist who has written for publications such as Wired, Scientific American Mind, Popular Science, and Popular Mechanics. She claims she decided to write this book after reading strange headlines about spider goats and glow-in-the-dark cats. This book is a collection of her research with a heavy sprinkling of anecdotes, expert opinions, and ethical counterpoints. The science is dumbed down to layman’s terms, so a biology degree is not a prerequisite. Anthes begins by introducing the reader to the brave new world of genetic manipulation by humans on those of lesser status in the food chain. We meet sensor-wearing seals, cyborg beetles and a bionic bulldog among others.
The first chapter is on the history of glow-fish pets (Zebra fish made to glow in vibrant colors) and how they became the first pet marketed as an aesthetic novelty through biotechnology. We also learn about the companies creating hundreds of varieties of lab mice and rats by altering the genomes to cause specific traits and conditions requested by buyers. Such models are used in the study of human diseases, though there is one mouse variety described as having tusks, another that can’t process nutrients and starves, and another that females won’t reproduce with due to an alteration of pheromones. Models such as these may seem irrelevant to current human medical concerns while cancer and AIDs are killing in mass proportions, but research is done and data is collected and stored.
In the second chapter, Anthes details a new way to feed and protect hungry babies all over the world with transgenic goat’s milk. Goats are modified to produce milk that is more similar to human breast milk. It contains 60% of the lysozyme and lactoferrin found in human mother’s milk. Chemicals in the milk also kill pathogenic bacteria and increase resistance to E. coli and childhood stomach ailments. Another variety of modified goat milk uses DNA from spiders to produce milk with fibers that can be used to make silk.
The third chapter discusses the how and why of cloning from regenerating deceased pets to reproducing endangered or extinct species. There are companies that collect and store frozen DNA of various animal species for these purposes. The first cloned sheep, Dolly, produced a blood-clotting agent that resulted in hemophilia treatment. Scientists have cloned a growing number of animals, from cats to cows, opening doors that have allowed for the production of life-saving human pharmaceuticals and the creation of disease-resistant livestock.
Other uses of biotechnology on animals that are discussed in the book include implants, robotics, and prosthetics. Scientists can implant trackers and censors to monitor health or study migration patterns. Harmless microchips are routinely implanted in pets to track them if they are lost and prosthetics and modifications for health are done to improve the lives of injured animals. Animal organs and cells are now used in human surgeries. Pig tissue can be used in ulcer repair, wound care, and plastic surgery. According to doctors, tissue from pigs is less likely than tissue from another human to cause an allergic reaction. For the robotics section, we meet mice with brain implants that can be controlled by humans like little remote control cars. Humans could potentially send computer controlled animals into areas to test the environment or act as spies.
According to Frankenstein’s Cat, there are endless possibilities for the future of biotechnology. Humans can put spider genes in goats, create remote controlled pets, and cure human disease through the use of specially engineered mice. There are a lot of ethical and moral issues involved in such a topic and some are pursued by Anthes in this book, which made for a fascinating read. The author states that, “We are heading toward a world in which anyone with a little time, money, and imagination can commandeer an animal’s brain. That’s as good a reason as any to start thinking about where we’d draw our ethical lines". Read the book to find out more and make up your own mind. This book is available as an audiobook on Hoopla Digital from your Lafourche Public Library.