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The chicken, the egg, and the ancient mariner

Nature Biotechnology volume 16, pages 1013–1014 (1998)Cite this article

I am wary of roundtable introductions at the beginning of informal meetings. Each person describes his or her main research interests—"cancer-causing genes," "elusive neutron stars" and "toxin-consuming microorganisms,"—and all evoke the appropriate degree of awe. In contrast, when I pipe up with "transgenic chickens," titters are often audible, with the occasional belly laugh thrown in for good measure.

A report in this issue provides good reason for taking the field more seriously. Helen Sang and colleagues1 describe a novel system for improved integration of foreign DNA into the chicken genome using the mariner transposable element. Their paper offers the tantalizing prospect of not only improved success in the production of transgenic birds (which is sorely needed), but also improved integration of foreign DNA into mammalian genomes as well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. professor and chair, department of animal and poultry science, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Ontario, Canada

    Ann M. Verrinder Gibbins

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  1. Ann M. Verrinder Gibbins
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Gibbins, A. The chicken, the egg, and the ancient mariner. Nat Biotechnol 16, 1013–1014 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/3458

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