SHEEP WITH HUMAN ORGANS, GOATS THAT PRODUCE SPIDER WEB IN THEIR MILK, RABBITS WITH FLUORESCENT EYES AND AN ALLOTMENT OF GROWING HUMAN NOSES: WELCOME TO CHANNEL 4’S ANIMAL FARM
Over recent years, GM, cloning and tissue engineering have been advancing and are poised to change how we live forever.
Animal Farm is a new three part series starting on Channel 4 at 9pm on 19th March that brings together many of these experiments under one genetically modified roof.
Presented by Olivia Judson and Giles Coren, the series delves into the science behind the headlines to offer viewers a unique look at the science fiction that is fast becoming science fact.
The first programme in the series investigates the extraordinary creatures that can be produced using sex alone. From the cows with double the muscle mass of the ordinary bovine counterparts, to the chickens completely devoid of feathers, this is breeding on a whole new level. The programme also looks at claims that GM food could help save our dwindling fish stocks with the revolutionary ‘Super Salmon’ and checks out ‘golden rice’, a genetically modified rice that has been fortified with beta-carotene that, its creators believe, has the potential to end blindness in the developing world.
Programme two focuses on the latest genetic research that could directly affect our health, including sheep with human organs in them that could help alleviate waiting lists for transplants and plasma cows that could solve the threat of bioterrorism.
The programme also looks at a product called MySkin a revolutionary tissue engineering technique that takes a small sample of human skin and multiplies the cells to artificially grow more. This technique is already being used to treat people suffering from chronic burns but, as Giles and Olivia discover, could in the future be used to grow body parts such as noses, ears and even vital organs like livers and bladders.
The final programme in the series looks at how genetics are set to impact on our lifestyle and daily lives. Charmayne James, one of America’s most successful female rodeo riders, talks about how she has cloned her champion steed Scamper who is now too old to compete in tournaments.
Viewers will meet the original Scamper and his new twin and discover just how similar they are. The programme also looks at the goats which produce spider web in their milk for the production of everything from bullet-proof jackets, parachutes and air-bags as well as the pigs which may help solve the global pollution crisis.
Down on Channel 4’s Animal Farm, Olivia and Giles guide us through this strange new world and the ethical and moral maze surrounding them.