How do you like your bacon? Easy on the fat but extra CRISPR? If so, you might be licking your lips thanks to Beijing scientists and their laboratory-based genetic engineering. Experiments meant to test the feasibility of maintaining a pig’s body temperature better in order to help farmers reduce production costs lead to the unintended discovery that low-fat bacon is possible. Mammals usually carry a gene called UCP1, which helps makes them more resilient to colder weather by shedding fat. Pigs? Not so lucky. What has the scientific (and perhaps the culinary) world excited about this find is that a dozen genetically modified piglets were successfully engineered using CRISPR technology to splice the UCP1 gene from mice and fuse it into the genetic make-up of the little oinkers. But will this not-as-deadly bacon ever be served to the masses? Probably not – genetically modified food, especially in North America, just isn’t kosher (as some might say). For now, at least.
Sources
- CRISPR’d pigs could produce low-fat bacon
- CRISPR Bacon: Chinese Scientists Create Genetically Modified Low-Fat Pigs
- Scientists Discover Low-Fat Bacon Can Be Made from CRISPR-Modified Pigs
- Low-Fat Bacon? Scientists Use CRISPR to Breed Petite Piglets
