Subscribe now

Environment

Disease-resistant pork may go on sale in 2025 thanks to gene editing

US regulators are expected to approve a disease-resistant pig breed in 2025, opening the door to wider adoption of gene-edited farm animals and crops

By Michael Le Page

23 December 2024

Genus CRISPR edited pig

Genus’s gene-edited pigs with resistance to the virus that causes PRRS

Genus PIC

Thirty years after the first genetically modified tomato went on sale, the promise to revolutionise farming with genetic technologies remains largely unfulfilled. But 2025 could be a turning point, with new products demonstrating the untapped potential to reduce the losses of animals and crops to diseases.

In the coming year, regulatory authorities in the US are expected to approve a pig gene-edited to make it resistant to a common and devastating disease. That approval could open the door to a much wider use of the…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers