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posted by martyb on Tuesday October 24 2017, @09:30PM   Printer-friendly
from the CRISPR-y-bacon dept.

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have used the CRISPR gene editing technique to create pigs with less body fat. The GMO pigs may be better from both a cost and animal welfare standpoint:

Here's something that may sound like a contradiction in terms: low-fat pigs. But that's exactly what Chinese scientists have created using new genetic engineering techniques.

In a paper [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1707853114] [DX] published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists report that they have created 12 healthy pigs with about 24 percent less body fat than normal pigs.

The scientists created low-fat pigs in the hopes of providing pig farmers with animals that would be less expensive to raise and would suffer less in cold weather. "This is a big issue for the pig industry," says Jianguo Zhao of the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, who led the research. "It's pretty exciting."

[...] The animals have less body fat because they have a gene that allows them to regulate their body temperatures better by burning fat. That could save farmers millions of dollars in heating and feeding costs, as well as prevent millions of piglets from suffering and dying in cold weather. "They could maintain their body temperature much better, which means that they could survive better in the cold weather," Zhao said in an interview.

Previously: "Double-Muscled" Pigs Created Using Simple Gene Modification
eGenesis Bio Removes PERV From Pigs Using CRISPR
PETA Claims That Cambodian Farmers Are Breeding "Double-Muscled" Mutant Pigs


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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @09:55PM (10 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @09:55PM (#587126)

    That's the whole FUCKING point of pork, fatty proteiny meat!!! The next thing, these Chinese will "invent" dry watermelon.

    Dumb fucks.

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  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @10:05PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @10:05PM (#587135)

    Triggered by genetic engineering, wow the snowflakes have really infested everything!

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday October 24 2017, @10:09PM

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 24 2017, @10:09PM (#587138) Journal

      Snowflakes need their safe spaces. Take your pro-truth bias somewhere else.
      /s

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @10:14PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @10:14PM (#587141)

      Bacon-loving, 삼겹살-loving snowflake here.

      Chances are, I would eat you. No need for trigger. Where do you live?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @11:50PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @11:50PM (#587167)

        I live straight up your asshole. Dig in.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @12:35AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @12:35AM (#587186)

    Or watermelon with pit.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @01:48AM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @01:48AM (#587213)

    I don't think they invented anything. Ever heard of wild boar? It's a nice strong, game-y tasting, lean pig, and I believe it already does very well in cold weather.

    Bonus: No mucking about with CRISPR and all the non-GMO backlash that will result.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @04:15AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @04:15AM (#587261)

      Game-y taste? Ew.

      Non-GMO backlash just lets me know who the idiots are.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @04:51AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @04:51AM (#587268)

        When you are up to your ass in GMO pigs[alligators], then we'll see who is the idiot.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @06:32AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 25 2017, @06:32AM (#587300)
      Yeah I think those genes existed before and were bred out as farmers went for pigs that gained weight the fastest.
    • (Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday October 25 2017, @02:37PM

      by LoRdTAW (3755) on Wednesday October 25 2017, @02:37PM (#587383) Journal

      And they get fucking huge too. I mean 1000 pound pigs! How much bacon is that? How many pork chops and pork roasts?