NewsWatch: 2009: Goat Milk

[Narrator:] From the University of California at Davis, this is NewsWatch.

[Paul Pfotenhauer:] These dairy goats are not your average, run of the mill farm animals. They have been genetically engineered to carry a human gene that protects against diarrheal diseases that can kill more than to 2 million children a year.

[James Murray, UC Davis Animal Scientist:] The gene we've put in is human lysozyme and that is actually a gene which is very prevalent in human milk. It is also something you eat every time you swallow saliva. So we know it is not allergenic, we know it is not toxic and of the various lysozyme's genes it actually one of the more active in terms of its antimicrobial function. So it seemed to us as a perfect choice.

[Paul Pfotenhauer:] Scientists from Brazil are hoping to begin human trials in their country with this genetically enhanced goats' milk where diarrhea-causing bacteria are a problem.

[Paul Pfotenhauer:] Researcher Elizabeth Maga, said she applauds Brazil in being the first country interested in using biotechnology to combat intestinal diseases.

[Elizabeth Maga, UC Davis Animal Scientist:] We're very excited that Brazil has decided to go ahead with this type of work. They have put an emphasis on it to use biotechnology to try to improve human health and human lives in their country.

[Paul Pfotenhauer:] UC Davis hopes to be shipping semen and embryos from their goat population to Brazil, where it is hoped a new herd will begin producing this enzyme-enriched milk. This potent digestive ingredient is in far greater amounts in humans than in animals.

[James Murray:] A goat has 1,600 times less lysozyme in its milk than does human milk.

[Paul Pfotenhauer:] The researchers hope that in the future, the milk produced from goats will be distributed in a liquid or powder form to improve children's diets around the world. Paul Pfotenhauer, reporting from UC Davis.

[Narrator:] For more information please log on to broadcast.ucdavis.edu.