Source: Julie Larson Bricher, MEATINGPLACE, 8/29/18



According to a Pew Research Center survey, which polled more than 2,500 U.S. adults about their attitudes toward genetic engineering in animals, most Americans accept the technology as long as it is perceived to benefit human health.

But Americans' views on what's acceptable depends on the mechanism and intended purpose of the technology, according to the survey report released on August 16.

In the survey, respondents were presented with five different scenarios of animal genetic engineering and asked whether current or future applications were "taking technology too far" or were considered "appropriate use of technology."

Two scenarios elicited strong support of the use of animal biotechnology from respondents, while the remaining three received lukewarm acceptance or strong resistance.

The survey showed:
• 70 percent of respondents approved of limiting the reproductive capabilities of mosquitos to prevent spread of disease
• 57 percent found that using animals to grow organs or tissues for human transplant was acceptable
• 43 percent of those surveyed indicated that genetic modification of animals to increase protein production leading to more nutritious meat was a good use of the technology
• Only 32 percent agreed that using the technology to bring back an extinct animal from a closely related species was acceptable
• Just 21 percent thought that genetic engineering of aquarium fish to cause them to glow was an appropriate use of technology.

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