Looking Beyond Leaner Bacon
November 2, 2017
10/30/17 – Scientists in China have now used the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas 9 to produce pigs that can better regulate their body temperatures by burning fat, resulting in leaner animals that can survive better in cold weather. But in a cautionary note, two researchers argued recently in Issues that society should not focus narrowly on the “pursuit of our scientific capacity to engineer animals for consumption,” but should also address the “ethical challenges of our relationships with animals,” recognizing that “far from being merely editable genetic material and edible flesh, they are also living individuals that merit our serious moral consideration.”