A Texas Panhandle city traditionally associated with oil is moving toward the forefront of agricultural science.
As The Amarillo Globe-News reports,this week Borger welcomed the opening of a new livestock genetics center.
The center will be located at Frank Phillips College, and will focus its work on the transfer of cattle embryos. These embryos are removed from sought-after cows of good breeding, and placed into less expensive cows. The cheaper cows then serve as surrogate moms. This allows ranchers to spread superior cattle across the ag market more quickly.
A hormone used by Frank Phillips faculty and students causes superior cows to produce 15 or 20 embryos, instead of one. Those extra embryos are then transplanted to the surrogates.
The 4,500-square-foot facility holds a classroom and containment area for cattle.