[Biotechnology in veterinary medicine and animal production].

The rapid development of modern biotechnology has introduced a new dimension to veterinary medicine and animal breeding. Genome analysis of important breeding species will ultimately allow to detect and consequently to eliminate any possible genetic disorder. Moreover, infectious diseases may also be detected easier and more reliable. The production of transgenic livestock opens the possibility to generate animals with improved health and productivity without time consuming breeding programmes. In the following review I will focus on the description of recent developments in the application of molecular biological techniques in veterinary medicine and animal production. Special emphasis will be given to the physiological consequences of transgene expression rather than the techniques for the production of transgenic animals.