(STATION GOSSIP) – A company out of the U.K. – Moolec – has developed a new line of soybeans called Piggy Sooy. These new soybeans are genetically engineered to produce pig proteins. The new soybean crops will be harvested traditionally and will be incorporated into “plant-based meats” and other substitute meat products. Researchers are warning about the genetic and generational consequences of these experimental gene edits.
Moolec is poised to profit from the latest CRISPR-Cas gene-editing experiment that effectively splices conventional soya to create a soybean with 26.6 percent animal protein. Due to the gene edits, the interior portion of this new soybean hybrid presents a rosy flesh color. The company claims that these new hybrids will provide similar taste, texture, and nutritional value as animal meat. The company is currently working on a pea plant that produces cow protein. The exact animal genes used in these experiments are considered trade secrets.
“Moolec has developed a unique, successful, and patentable platform for the expression of highly valuable proteins in the seeds of economically important crops such as soybeans,’ says Amit Dhingra, the company's chief science officer. “This achievement opens up a precedent for the entire scientific community that is looking to achieve high levels of protein expression in seeds via molecular farming.”
The post FrankenMeats are here: Soybeans being genetically engineered to grow pig protein appeared first on WND.
