The FDA Just Approved the First CRISPR-Edited Pigs for Food

Who’s up for some CRISPR-y bacon? This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved gene-edited pigs developed by PIC, a biotechnology company specializing in livestock genetics, for human consumption. The FDA granted the approval Wednesday, allowing a specific gene edit to be used in commercially bred pigs. With the help of CRISPR—a powerful gene editing tool—the UK-based company has created pigs resistant to one of the most common viral infections affecting swine worldwide. It will take a while longer for this GE pork to end up on our dinner plates, however. “We have spent years conducting extensive research, validating our findings and working with the FDA to gain approval,” said Matt Culbertson, chief operating officer at PIC (short for Pig Improvement Company), in a statement released Thursday by the National Pig Association in the UK. PIC’s edit is intended to tackle the virus behind porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). It knocks out a receptor on pig cells ... Read full article.