Gene-Edited Pigs Approved to Enter Food Chain for the First Time

Fri, 12 May 2023 17:01:43 GMT

Washington State University researchers will help make history after receiving FDA “investigational” authorization to have their gene-edited pigs enter the food chain for human consumption.

“It’s important for a university to set the precedent by working with federal regulators to get these animals introduced into the food supply,” Jon Oatley, a professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences in WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said in a university release . “If we don’t go through that process, all of the research we’re doing is for naught because it will never make it out into the public.”

Gene-Edited Pork

Researchers at WSU used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to improve genetic traits in five pigs. Oatley undertook the investigational food use authorization process for these gene-edited pigs to demonstrate that food made from the animals is safe to eat and that it is possible for an academic institution to achieve this type of FDA authorization.

“Gene-editing can make changes in an organism’s DNA that could occur in nature or through selective breeding but would take much longer without a tool like CRISPR,” the release said. Oatley is also working toward an FDA approval for a line of gene-edited pigs.

The FDA authorization is investigational, and limited to these particular pigs, but the university says this shows that gene-editing livestock to quickly produce desirable traits for improved food production is a viable strategy for helping feed the planet’s growing population.

“The original intent in making these animals was to try to improve the way that we feed people,” he said. “And we can’t do that unless we can work with the FDA system to get these animals actually into the food chain.”

The Pork Tastes the Same

The pigs were then processed at the WSU Meat Lab at two years of age. After USDA inspection, a meat scientist made some of the pork into German-style sausages. The researchers grilled the sausages and said there was no difference in taste, texture or nutrients.

Some of the meat from the pigs will be used to raise money for travel for the Washington State University’s meat judging team.

How Does This Gene Editing Process Work?

The pigs were originally gene-edited in a way that would enable researchers to use them to sire offspring with traits from another male pig, the researchers explain.

“Known as surrogate sires, this technology first gene-edits male animals to be sterile by knocking out a gene called NANOS2 that is specific to male fertility. These animals can then be implanted with another male’s stem cells that create sperm with that male’s desired traits to be passed on to the next generation,” the release said.

Surrogate sire technology has the potential to improve meat quality as well as the health and resilience of livestock in the face of changing environmental conditions, a critical goal for increasing protein sources in developing nations, researchers explain.

The surrogate sires’ progeny, which are not gene-edited, have not yet been reviewed by the FDA for possible inclusion in the food chain, the release said. It required much effort to secure the investigational approval for these five pigs.

“The FDA waives some fees for nonprofits like universities, but by the time the process was completed, Oatley’s team had spent two years and approximately $200,000 collecting data for this authorization,” the release said.

First of Seven Ag-Specific Satellites Goes Into Orbit

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 16:37:46 GMT

In early January, Dragonfly Aerospace launched its first imaging satellite from the SpaceX launch site in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Named EOS SAT-1, this is the first of seven ag-specific satellites to be launched over the next three years, which is boasted to be the first such constellation focused on image data collection for agriculture. The constellation will maintain low Earth orbit and collect imagery for EOS Data Analytics with the goal of collecting high-quality data for crop monitoring, application mapping, soil moisture, yield prediction and biomass levels.

Per the company, the EOS SAT-1 is equipped with two DragonEye electro-optical imagers to provide 27 mile swath panchromatic and multispectral imagery across 11 spectral bands at close to 1m resolution – making it one of the most capable imaging satellites in LEO.

“This is a momentous achievement for Dragonfly Aerospace and we are thrilled to have delivered EOS SAT-1 to orbit with a number of firsts – the first imaging satellite designed and built by Dragonfly, the first microsatellite to be manufactured in South Africa since 2009, the first satellite of the EOS SAT constellation and the first agri-focused constellation in space,” said Bryan Dean, CEO and Co-founder of Dragonfly Aerospace. “This has been an important project for our whole team and has allowed us to demonstrate our capabilities, not just in producing high-performance electro-optical imagers, but in designing and manufacturing a full imaging satellite system. It’s an amazing feeling to see EOS SAT-1 leave the launch pad and take the next step in its journey to delivering crucial data that will have important environmental benefits for our planet. We look forward to supporting EOSDA with its mission to launch the next six satellites by 2025.”

Dragonfly was started in 2019 and has customers which include: EOS Data Analytics, NanoAvionics, Spire, UKRI, ZfT, EnduroSat, Loft Orbital, and Pixxel.

Hogs Genetics

Gene-Edited Pigs Approved to Enter Food Chain for the First Time

Gene-Edited Pork

The Pork Tastes the Same

How Does This Gene Editing Process Work?

First of Seven Ag-Specific Satellites Goes Into Orbit

Read more on satellites in agriculture.