GM hope in bird flu battle

Chickens have been genetically modified to prevent them spreading bird flu.

The research, carried out in Edinburgh and Cambridge, may lead to ways of halting bird flu outbreaks within poultry stocks.

As well as protecting the health of poultry, it could reduce the risk of a killer pandemic among humans.

Experts fear a mutated version of the virus that transmits easily from person-to-person could claim millions of victims around the world.

Research co-author Professor Helen Sang, from the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, said: "The results achieved are very encouraging. Using genetic modification to introduce genetic changes that cannot be achieved by animal breeding demonstrates the potential of GM to improve animal welfare."