The Wide Angle: Top 10 Eccentric Transgenic Animals

By Amy Drew

10. Enviropig

As a producer of large amounts of phosphorus, pig manure can have a detrimental effect on the environment, killing marine species and generating greenhouse gases. To reduce this impact, Cecil Forsberg of the University of Guelph reported in the October 2001 issue of Nature Biotechnology that his lab had bred a transgenic pig that produces phytase, an enzyme that aids in the breakdown of phosphorus, in its saliva. These pigs produce up to 75 percent less phosphorus in their waste. Following the January 2009 Guidance Document released by the FDA regarding the regulation of genetically engineered animals, the Enviropig is expected to be approved for consumption in the United States as early as this year.

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