Nourished by Goats

Russian and Belarusian geneticists are attempting to breed goats with the ability to produce lactoferrin, the stuff that makes breast milk so delicious vital for babies. Lactoferrin inhibits bacteria and viruses by binding to them and thus not allowing them to attach to wimpy baby cells. It functions as a baby's immune system while their own is still developing. The geneticists are hoping they have discovered a way to mass produce it.

They have already succeeded with mice. They injected mice embryos with genes that caused them to make lactoferrin even more efficiently than women. On average, a liter of the mouse milk contained about four times the amount of lactoferrin as human milk. A liter of mouse milk?! Holy jesus barf.

Screengrab from Simpsons episode, rats being milked

But mice are so tiny. A human baby would have to drain hundreds of lactating mice a day to get properly nourished. That's just not practical. Goats will provide a more elegant solution. Mice will work as a snack or perhaps to pacify a fussy baby, but you'll need a goat for real meals. Scientists don't expect the goat milk to be as highly concentrated as the mouse milk, but they think it will be more lactoferrin-rich than human milk. This will bring a whole new meaning to the term "nanny goat."

Goat saying 'Hey, I'll breastfeed your baby! It's totally not a prob!!!'

Helpful Goat is ready to help! Aren't goats the best?

Welcome to the future!!!

Posted by Jessie Bluejay on Wednesday, March 25, 2009