ENVIRO PIGS
In order to address the pollution problems caused by runoff from animal operations, mainly because of the presence of phosphorous, a new series of Yorkshire pigs are being engineered.
Firstly, the main problem is that animal operations produce manures that are rich in phosphorous content. This leads to run off containing phosphorous which are retained in oceans deltas, rivers, and lakes. This results in algae blooms as the phosphorous acts as a fertilizer and sparks off the rapid growth of algae. This finally causes the formation of dead zones. Dead zones are basically areas in water which are incapable of supporting aquatic life. This is so the algae used up most of the dissolved oxygen available in the water, hence rendering the aquatic life unable to undergo respiration.
The Enviro pig, or Franken pig, is engineered as by decreasing the amount of phosphorous in animal waste scientists hope to decrease the incidence of dead zones around the world. This particular type of pig only emits of up to 35% of phosphorous in their feces and urine as compared to their normal Yorkshire counterparts. This is so as they are engineered to create their own enzyme, phytase, to break down phosphorous. Normal pigs need phosphorous in their daily food as this element is responsible for the formation of teeth, bones and cell walls as well as in a variety of cellular and organ functions. Hence, farmers provide the pigs with ingested phytase with the intent of helping the pig to break down phosphorous found in their daily food like corn or barley. However, the ingested phytase are not as effective as compared to the naturally formed phytase, hence a large percentage of the element still gets flushed out of the pigs. This in turn pollutes the environment by causing water pollution through the means of creating dead zones.
For decades, researchers and scientists have struggled to find the enzyme needed for animals to break down phosphorous but finally this elusive enzyme was found in the genome of the bacterium E Coli. To make sure this modification works for mammals, the E Coli genes are paired with a DNA mouse promoter. The DNA mouse promoter is a section of DNA that encourages the replication of a specific segment, in this case is the bacterial genes. Researchers then injected microscopic fertilized pig embryo with the mixture. This is basically how an Enviro pig comes about. They have the ability to produce their own phytase to break down phosphorous in their food and they are also able to absorb more of the element hence producing cleaner wastes.
This series of Franken pigs not only addresses environmental issues but also societal challenges in pig farming. This is so as there is no more need for farmers to supplement their pigs with ingested phytase, hence this reduces the overall costs of pig farming. However, this Enviro pig is still currently in the researching and testing process and is yet to pass safety tests with U.S food and drug administration. So far no transgenic food has been approved for consumption and this pig might not be in the market anytime sooner as these tests might take years to overcome.
If this particular breed of pigs is passed fit for consumption, there might be a leap in this aspect of genetic engineering as more animals would be able to create their own enzymes to break down elements which would cause pollution when excreted. This would lead to greener animal operations and hence a greener Earth.