Americans are OK with genetically engineering animals — if it's for human health, Pew finds

Most Americans agree genetically engineering animals is acceptable if it's used to improve human health, according to a Pew Research Center report.

The Pew Research Center surveyed 2,537 adults from April 23-May 6 for its poll on genetically engineering in animals. The poll was conducted as part of the American Trends Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population.

The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Here's how participants responded when asked if the following examples of genetic engineering in animals were appropriate uses of technology:

1. Mosquitoes to prevent the spread of disease by limiting their reproduction: 70 percent

2. Animals to grow organs or tissues for humans needing a transplant: 57 percent

3. Animals to increase protein production, leading to more nutritious meat: 43 percent

4. A closely related species to bring back an extinct animal: 32 percent

5. Aquarium fish to cause them to glow: 21 percent

The remaining respondents either provided no answer or agreed the example was "taking technology too far."

To download Pew Research Center's report, click here.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars