Though it may sound like a David Chang fantasy, the idea of pigs bursting with meat and yes, extra ham and thicker chops is nothing to snort at. Assuming, of course, that such genetically modified pork will eventually find its way into the supermarket – a very real possibility.
In late June, biologists in South Korea increased the likelihood of this reality, with the introduction of pigs with super-muscled backsides, as detailed in Nature. The researchers used gene editing – less disruptive than genetic modification since it does not introduce new genetic material from another organism – to block a single gene that normally keeps muscle mass and at normal levels and helps regulate fat deposits. The gene, myostatin (MSTN), is sometimes disabled naturally in humans and dogs, and most notably in the Belgian Blue breed of cattle, resulting in leaner, double-muscled pigs.