Honduras and Brazil Join Forces in Bovine Biotechnology

By Bufete Mejia & Asociados

Honduras and Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding to bolster cooperation in the agricultural sector, specifically focusing on bovine biotechnology. This agreement aims to exchange knowledge and experience with experts from both nations sharing their expertise in bovine biotech, fostering collaborative research and development projects.

It also looks to attract Brazilian investment in the Honduran agricultural sector, contributing to its growth and development.

Animal biotechnology is a branch of biotechnology in which molecular biology techniques are used to genetically engineer (i.e. modify the genome of) animals in order to improve their suitability for agriculture, industrial, or pharmaceutical applications. 

Animal biotechnology has been used to produce genetically modified animals that synthesize therapeutic proteins, have improved growth rates or are resistant to disease.

Advances in animal biotechnology have been facilitated by recent progress in sequencing animal genomes, gene expression and metabolic profiling of animal cells. More recently, genome editing technologies (Zinc Finger Nucleases, TALENS, and CRISPR-Cas systems) have opened up new opportunities to easily create genetic variations in animals that can improve their health and well-being, agricultural production, and protection against diseases.