Opportunities and Challenges of CRISPR-Cas9 in the Sustainable Development of Animal Husbandry

Food security is of vital importance to the destiny of the entire globe. However, the realization of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, which advocate for the eradication of hunger and the improvement of nutrition, appears somewhat bleak. The advent of gene editing has made precise modification of biological genomes a reality. Among these technologies, CRISPR-Cas9, due to its convenience and high efficiency, has been widely applied in fields such as agriculture. The application of CRISPR-Cas9 in genetically engineered animals can rapidly improve animal traits, reduce resource consumption, and has great potential in addressing food security issues. Therefore, this review focuses on the editing principles of CRISPR-Cas9, its developmental trajectory, and the opportunities and challenges it presents in animal husbandry, aiming to provide a theoretical reference for the further application of CRISPR-Cas9 to promote the sustainable development of animal husbandry.