Long tails often cause health and hygiene problems for sheep. To solve this, a research project at Washington State University aims to eliminate the trait that causes tails to be longer.
Brietta Latham, a PhD student at WSU who grew up in the sheep industry, is spearheading the project under professor Jon Oatley in WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm{2E92> D2:5 D96 9@A6D E96 C6D62C49 H:== 36?67:E D966A 3J :>AC@G:?8 2?:>2= H6=72C6 2?5 AC@5F46CD 3J C65F4:?8 E96:C =23@C 2?5 =@DD6D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 C62==J >62?:?87F= AC@;64E 7@C >6[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
Brietta Latham, a PhD student in Washington State University’s School of Molecular Biosciences, poses for a photo in a research lab in Pullman.
WSU College of Veterinary Medicine
kAm(9:=6 D966A 3C665D :? D@>6 C68:@?D @7 E96 H@C=5 ?2EFC2==J 92G6 D9@CE E2:=D[ >@DE 5@>6DE:4 D966A @7 tFC@A62? 56D46?E 92G6 =@?8 E2:=D[ D2:5 {2E92>]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 2 =@?8 E2:= 42? AC@E64E E96 2?FD 2?5 GF=G2 2?5 96=A 2 D966A H:E9DE2?5 92CD96C 4@?5:E:@?D[ :E 92D 5C2H324<D] p =@?8 E2:= :D >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 86E DE6AA65 @?[ 496H65 @C @E96CH:D6 52>2865] xE :D 2=D@ >@C6 DFD46AE:3=6 E@ 7642= 3F:=5FA]k^Am
kAmp 4@>>@? AC@3=6> 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 =@?86C E2:=D :D 7=J DEC:<6[ 2 A2:?7F= 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J 5625=J 4@?5:E:@? 42FD65 3J 3=@H7=:6D E92E =2J E96:C 688D :? E96 >@:DE 6?G:C@?>6?E F?56C E96 E2:=] (96? E96 688D 92E49[ E96 =2CG26 62E E96 D966A’D 7=6D9]k^Am
kAm%96 :?5FDECJ DE2?52C5 :D E@ 5@4< E96 E2:=D[ 3FE E92E 42? 36 E:>6\4@?DF>:?8 2?5 4@DE=J 7@C AC@5F46CD 2?5 A2:?7F= 7@C D966A]k^Am
k9bmv6?6 65:E:?8 6=:>:?2E6D 5@4<:?8k^9bm
kAm&$sp C646?E=J 2H2C565 {2E92> 2 E9C66\J62C 76==@HD9:A 7@C 96C AC@A@D2= E@ 56G6=@A 2 86?6 65:E:?8 DEC2E68J E@ D9@CE6? E96 E2:=D @7 $F77@=< D966A — E96 >@DE H:56=J AC@5F465 3C665 :? E96 &]$] — 2?5 6=:>:?2E6 E96 ?665 7@C E2:= 5@4<:?8]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 A2DD:@? AC@;64E 7@C >6[ D@ x 2> DFA6C 6I4:E65 E92E x 86E E@ 5@ E9:D D4:6?46 2?5 E92E E96 &$sp DFAA@CE65 :E 6?@F89 E@ 8C2?E >6 E96 76==@HD9:A[” D2:5 {2E92>]k^Am
kAm#2E96C E92? FD:?8 EC25:E:@?2= 3C665:?8 >6E9@5D E@ D6=64E 7@C D9@CE6C E2:=D[ {2E92> :D E2<:?8 2 72DE6C 2AAC@249i r#x$!#\r2Dh 86?6 65:E:?8[ H9:49 H:== 2==@H 96C E@ AC64:D6=J 65:E DA64:7:4 D64E:@?D @7 2 46==’D 86?@>6 3J C6>@G:?8[ 255:?8 @C 2=E6C:?8 86?6D]k^Am
kAm{2E92> D2:5 r2Dh 42? 36 E9@F89E @7 2D 2 A2:C @7 >@=64F=2C D4:DD@CD 2?5 E96 86?@>6 2D 2 C@25>2A 7@C E96 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 >2:?E6?2?46 @7 E96 D966A’D 3@5J]k^Am
kAm(96? {2E92> D6?5D E96 r2Dh :?E@ E96 3@5J[ D96 8:G6D :E 2? #}p D6BF6?46 E92E 8F:56D :E E@ 2 DA64:7:4 A=246 @? E96 86?@>:4 C@25>2A] ~?46 E96 r2Dh 2CC:G6D[ :E 4FED E96 C@25 2E E96 8:G6? =@42E:@?] %96 3@5J ?@E:46D E96 9@=6 2?5 D6?5D 2 C6A2:C E62> E@ 7:I :E]k^Am
kAm(96? {2E92> H2?ED E@ :?D6CE 2 ?6H D6BF6?46 E@ 492?86 E96 C@25>2A[ D96 :?D6CED 2 E6>A=2E6 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 r2Dh] %96 E6>A=2E6 D6CG6D 2D 2? :?DECF4E:@?2= >2?F2= @? 9@H E@ C64@?DECF4E E96 4FE C@25]k^Am
kAm{2E92> A=2?D E@ FD6 E9:D E649?:BF6 E@ <?@4< @FE @C C6>@G6 E96 86?6 :? D966A E92E AC@5F46D =@?8 E2:=D 2?5 C6A=246 :E H:E9 2 86?6 7@F?5 :? D9@CE\E2:=65 3C665D]k^Am
kAmx? 62C=J EC:2=D[ D96 92D DF446DD7F==J D9@CE6?65 E96 E2:=D @7 >:46]k^Am
Latham holds mouse skeletons that are used in her research to develop a gene editing strategy to shorten the tails of Suffolk sheep and eliminate the need for tail docking.
WSU College of Veterinary Medicine
kAmtG6?EF2==J[ {2E92> 2?E:4:A2E6D D966A H:E9 E96 D9@CE\E2:=65 EC2:E H:== 36 23=6 E@ 6?E6C E96 :?5FDECJ :? @?6 @7 EH@ H2JD]k^Am
kAmx? E96 7:CDE >6E9@5[ E96 D4:6?E:DE H@F=5 EC2?D76C E96 65:E65 6>3CJ@D :?E@ 76>2=6 D966A]k^Am
kAm%96 25F=ED H@F=5 8:G6 3:CE9 E@ =2>3D H:E9 D9@CE E2:=D[ H9:49 4@F=5 E96? A2DD @? E96 EC2:E E@ E96:C @77DAC:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 D64@?5 >6E9@5 4@F=5 :?G@=G6 “DFCC@82E6 D:C6D[” >2=6 2?:>2=D E92E[ H96? E96J 3C665[ H@F=5 AC@G:56 DA6C> 42CCJ:?8 E96 86?6E:4 EC2:ED @7 6=:E6 5@?@C 2?:>2=D]k^Am
k9bmv6?6 65:E:?8 92D 4C:E:4Dk^9bm
kAmv6?6 65:E:?8 FD:?8 E96 r#x$!#\r2Dh E@@=[ 9@H6G6C[ 92D 4C:E:4D]k^Am
kAm$@>6 DEF5:6D 92G6 D9@H? r#x$!#\r2Dh 65:E:?8 42? 8@ HC@?8[ :?4=F5:?8 3J 92G:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?43:]?=>]?:9]8@G^A>4^2CE:4=6D^!|r`__bc_ha^RiOiE6IElp=E9@F89Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm@77\E2C86E 67764EDk^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2EFC6]4@>^2CE:4=6D^?3E]c`haQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm@?\E2C86E >FE286?6D:Dk^2m DF49 2D =2C86 56=6E:@?D 2?5 >@C6 4@>A=6I 86?@>:4 C62CC2?86>6?ED]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 :D 46CE2:?=J A=6?EJ @7 A@E6?E:2= 7@C F?:?E6?565 4@?D6BF6?46D[” D2:5 {:D2 |@D6D[ 2? 2?:>2= 3:@6E9:4:DE 2E w2CG2C5 |65:42= $49@@=]k^Am
kAm|@D6D D2:5 AF3=:4 A6C46AE:@? @7 86?6 65:E:?8 4@F=5 2=D@ AC6D6?E 2? @3DE24=6 E@ :ED 25@AE:@?]k^Am
kAm{2E92> D2:5 A6@A=6 92G6 366? 86?6E:42==J >@5:7J:?8 2?:>2=D E9C@F89 D6=64E:G6 3C665:?8 D:?46 2?:>2=D H6C6 7:CDE 5@>6DE:42E65[ 2?5 D96 D2:5 86?6 65:E:?8 7@C ?2EFC2= 56D:C23=6 EC2:ED ;FDE “DA665D FA E96 AC@46DD]” |@D6D[ :? 4@?EC2DE[ D2:5 86?6 65:E:?8 4C62E6D 2 ?6H @C82?:D>[ 2?5 >2?J 4@?DF>6CD 2C6 F?62DJ 23@FE 86?6\65:E65 2?:>2=D 6?E6C:?8 E96 7@@5 DJDE6>]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 >2J ?@E 36 2== E92E C625J 7@C E9:D[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{2E92> C6\6>A92D:K65 E92E D96 :D 65:E:?8 7@C 2 ?2EFC2= EC2:E E92E 2=C625J @44FCD :? D@>6 D966A 2?5 D2:5 :E H:== =:<6=J 36 D6G6C2= J62CD 367@C6 86?6\65:E65 D966A 2C6 @? E96 >2C<6E]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 =@?8 AC@46DD[” D2:5 {2E92>] “(6 H2?E E@ >2<6 DFC6 :E’D E96 D276DE 2?5 >@DE 67764E:G6 E92E :E 42? 36]”k^Am
