Waving goodbye to the enviropigs

The dream of a genetically engineered pig that produces pristine (okay, less phosphorous-laden) manure is, for the time being at least, dead. The New York Times reports that the University of Guelph’s “enviropig” project, which involved designing a pig better able to digest phosphorous, has lost its funding from Ontario Pork. The story is an interesting one, because it raises questions on the ethics and practicality of genetically engineering animals, but also because it’s the only story you’ll read today that describes someone as “co-inventor of the pig.” The main problem, the Times explains, is that the researchers weren’t able to find a company willing to bring the pig to market, which figures, since the animals were never approved for human consumption in the first place. Still, if you’re a supporter of the project, don’t despair. Just in case a company is one day willing to market the animals, their semen is being frozen—which we can only assume was the handiwork of some poor undergraduate looking for extra credit on his bio lab. Read the entire story [New York Times] »