THE USE OF GENE EDITING IN LIVESTOCK HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE DISEASE RESISTANCE, PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ANIMAL AGRICULTURE. HOWEVER, STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS FARMERS, REGULATORS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING THE SAFETY OF THIS TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD ANIMALS. SOME OF THESE CONCERNS INCLUDE THE SPECIFICITY OF GENE EDITING EVENTS (IE IS ONLY THE DESIRED LOCATION BEING MODIFIED) AND THE CONTAINMENT OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED/GENE EDITED ANIMALS TO PREVENT THE UNINTENDED INCORPORATION OF THE GENETIC MODIFICATION INTO DOMESTIC OR WILD ANIMALS. THIS RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS BOTH THESE ISSUES BY USING GENE EDITING TO RENDER MALES STERILE AS A MEANS OF CONTAINMENT WHILE ALSO COLLECTING INFORMATION ON OFF-TARGET EFFECTS OF GENE EDITING TOOLS IN LIVESTOCK FOR REGULATORS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ON THE SAFETY OF THE TECHNOLOGY.GENE EDITED PIGS WILL BE PRODUCED THAT LACK A KEY COMPONENT REQUIRED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES. WITH REDUCED LEVELS OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT OF MALE PIGS WILL BE IMPAIRED AND MALE PIGS WILL BE STERILE. FEMALE PIGS SHOULD REMAIN FERTILE. IN ADDITION, REDUCED LEVELS OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES WILL PREVENT THE COMPOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR BOAR TAINT, OR THE STALE URINE/FECAL FLAVOR THAT APPEARS IN THE MEAT OF NON-CASTRATED MALE PIGS BEFORE THEY REACH MARKET WEIGHT, FROM BEING FORMED. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ABOLISH THE NEEDED AND COMMON PRACTICE OF CASTRATING NEONATAL MALE PIGLETS AS A MEANS TO ELIMINATE BOAR TAINT, A MAJOR BENEFIT TO ANIMAL WELFARE AND PORK PRODUCERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE RESULTING GENE EDITED PIGS WILL BE FULLY CHARACTERIZED IN TERMS OF THEIR REPRODUCTIVE CAPACITY AS WELL AS BASIC FUNCTIONS SUCH AS GROWTH AND BEHAVIOR AS BROAD INDICATORS OF WELL-BEING OF GENE EDITED ANIMALS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE PROPOSED GENE EDIT WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH ORGANISMAL WELL-BEING OF THE ANIMALS AND THAT GENE EDITING TOOLS WILL RESULT IN MODIFICATIONS AT THEDESIRED LOCATION IN THE GENOME WITH FEW OFF-TARGET EVENTS. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS CONTAINMENT APPROACH CAN EASILY BE APPLIED TO OTHER ANIMAL SPECIES. THIS WORK MOST DIRECTLY ADDRESSES PROGRAM AREA 1 (MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK OF GE ORGANISMS), NAMELY 1C, THE DEVELOPMENT OR EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVE BIOCONTAINMENT STRATEGIES INCLUDING MOLECULAR AND/OR GENETIC TECHNIQUES.