Transgenic Creatures Being Genetically Modified To "Like" Their Environment

The harsh conditions of factory farms have lead scientists to investigate ways to genetically modify the animals to be more complacent toward their surroundings, but experts warn such tampering could lead to "farmyard freaks." The fact that a U.S. cow has been recently cloned on a British farm has brought additional scrutiny to the issue. The impact of genetically modified and cloned animals is huge, according to Nottingham University applied bioethics professor Ben Mepham. "The question of whether humanity should take it upon ourselves to alter animals by G.M., involving in many cases mixing the genes of different species -- and sometimes those of human origin -- is undoubtedly critical for many people," said Mepham, a former Agriculture, Environment Biotechnology Commission member.