Eco Factor: “Enviropig” to excrete 65 percent less phosphorous than usual.
Canada has approved the University of Guelph for limited production of a genetically engineered pig that will protect aquatic life with earth-friendly poop. The “Enviropig” has been engineered in such a manner that its urine and feces contain up to 65 percent less phosphorous than usual.
This could be good news for lakes and rivers where phosphorous from animal waste causes algal bloom, which further reduces the oxygen content of water, creating vast dead zones for fish and other aquatic life. All living creatures need phosphorous for many cellular and organ functions. For pigs, this supply comes from corn and cereal grains. However, these foods contain phosphorous which is indigestible to the pigs, making farmers feed their pigs an enzyme called phytase that allows these animals to digest phosphorous.
The researchers claim that artificially feeding phytase isn’t as efficient as the phytase created inside the pig would be. To solve the problem, these researchers tinkered with the genes to make the pig produce its own phystase in its salivary glands. This enables the pig to digest phosphorous on its own in a way that the amount excreted in waste is reduce by almost 65 percent.
Via: Discover Magazine/National Geographic
