Not all cows have horns, though. In fact, many beef cattle breeds—including the popular Angus—are naturally horn-free. In 2012, a German research team discovered the exact genetic cause: a complex mutation involving the deletion of 10 DNA letters and the insertion of 212 DNA letters on chromosome 1. Inspired by this knowledge, the scientists at Recombinetics used gene editing to copy the exact same change into the genome of blue-ribbon dairy bulls, creating cattle whose prized genetics—crafted over centuries of selective breeding for optimal milk production—weren’t otherwise altered. The first
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