SCIENCE UPDATE

This is a grain of sand. And you won’t believe how absolutely filthy it is.

Low-fat bacon may one day join the ranks of other tasty meats at your local supermarket or deli. Chinese scientists have used the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing method to create slender pigs, which are also better at keeping warm.

Normally, pigs develop fat to insulate and protect themselves against the cold, as – unlike other animals and humans – they lack a special protein, which regulates body temperature.

In the experiment, the scientists took DNA from mice, which makes cells produce the protein, and inserted it into pig embryos.

Twelve edited boars were born with 24% less body fat than ordinary pigs.

Infrared images show that the low-fat pig with an inserted mouse gene – bottom – is better at keeping warm than ordinary pigs.