The establishment of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and gene targeting technologies 
in mice has revolutionised the field of genetics. The relative ease with which 
genes can be knocked out, and exogenous sequences introduced, has allowed the 
mouse to become the prime model for deciphering the genetic code. Not 
surprisingly, the lack of authentic ESCs has hampered the livestock genetics 
field and has forced animal scientists into adapting alternative technologies 
for genetic engineering. The recent discovery of the creation of induced 
pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by upregulation of a handful of reprogramming 
genes has offered renewed enthusiasm to animal geneticists. However, much like 
ESCs, establishing authentic iPSCs from the domestic animals is still beset with 
problems, including (but not limited to) the persistent expression of 
reprogramming genes and the lack of proven potential for differentiation into 
target cell types both in vitro and in vivo. Site-specific nucleases comprised 
of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases 
(TALENs) and clustered regulated interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) 
emerged as powerful genetic tools for precisely editing the genome, usurping the 
need for ESC-based genetic modifications even in the mouse. In this article, in 
the aftermath of these powerful genome editing technologies, the role of 
pluripotent stem cells in livestock genetics is discussed.