[Animal husbandry and biotechnology].

Biotechnology offers the possibility of improved and ingenious diagnostic aids, vaccines, production stimulants, therapeutic agents and even the provision of 'super' animals. In the diagnostics area, monoclonal antibodies are bringing about revolutionary changes both by the identification of infectious diseases and the determination of the sex of the embryo. Vaccines produced by recombinant DNA techniques are of the 'subunit' type which offer increased safety, specificity and reduced cost. Synthetic bovine growth presents the dairy industry with the possibility of maintaining current milk production with 30% fewer cattle and a concurrent significant reduction in feeding costs. 'Transgenetic' animals have already been created in the laboratory. Within the foreseeable future it will be possible to add foreign genes to the genetic composition of animals in order to transfer disease resistance, rapid growth, fertility and efficient use of foodstuffs to their progeny.