Pursuing Healthier Bacon Through Biotech

[Kadie]

Pursuing Healthier Bacon Through Biotech
By PAUL ELIAS, AP Biotechnology Writer

Sunday, March 26, 2006

(03-26) 15:36 PST San Francisco (AP) --


A microscopic worm may be the key to heart-friendly bacon.


Geneticists have mixed DNA from the roundworm C. elegans and pigs to produce swine with significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids — the kind believed to stave off heart disease.


Researchers hope they can improve the technique in pork and do the same in chickens and cows. In the process, they also want to better understand human disease.


"We all can use more omega-3 in our diet," said Dr. Jing Kang, the Harvard Medical School researcher who modified the omega-3-making worm gene so it turned on in the pigs.


Kang is one of 17 authors of the paper appearing Sunday in an online edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology.


more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/26/national/a105251S92.DTL

[LiberalEsto]

1. I'll have an RLT

Roundworm, lettuce & tomato sandwich.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Frankenpig!

And who, other than the pig, cares if the bacon is healthier. The question is whether it's more healthful for humans to eat.

[Odin2005]

3. Clever. We could use some healthier bacon (if that isn't an oxymoron)

The anti-GM food people will still moan and bitch over it though.

[BlooInBloo]

4. If it don't taste EVERY bit as good.....

... then they needn't have gone to the trouble - it'll be DOA.

I'll personally help kill it too.


mmmmmm..... bacon.... with Lara Logan.... {drool}{slobber}{drool}

[catnhatnh]

5. A minor ode to bacon....

I live in New Hampshire,
Where still we have farms,
Which protects all the lands,
but Pigs,them it harms,

They kill them and clean them,
and smoke them over fires,
and I LOVE real bacon,
not horseshit O. Mayers....

[Vidar]

6. Genetically engineered mad pig disease coming up.

[recoveringdittohed]

7. Would a government funded study of this issue

Be the ultimate in pork barrel politics? Couldn't resist the pun. :silly: