How does the idea of “infinite bacon” sound to you? Thanks to a recent boom of the cloning industry in China, what was once a simple fever dream may finally become reality.
Owned by the company known as BGI, the use of cloning factories has recently been on the rise in China. Specifically catering to the cloning of pigs, these facilities can produce approximately 500 pigs a year. The traits of these clones can be changed at will by technicians, changing and rearranging their DNA to suit whatever the purpose may be. Some pigs have their genes tampered with in order to make them more susceptible to diseases, so that tests for cures may be carried out.
The actual process for producing these clones is as follows: To start, DNA from an unfertilized egg is removed from the first pig. DNA is then also extracted from a second pig, and then fused with the DNA from the egg in order to fabricate a cloned blastocyst. The blastocysts are then implanted in a surrogate mother who will then produce a genetic clone of the second pig which will be used for food, testing, or whatever is necessary at the time.
BGI takes its tampering with nature one step further, however, and also holds the title as one of the largest gene sequencing centers in the world. BGI currently owns over 100 gene sequencing machines, constantly cranking through the genetic codes for various organisms. Given the amount of possibilities for gene sequencing when it comes to various species, you’d think that the selection process for which animals get sequenced would be rather involved. When questioned, however, the Chief Executive of BGI Wang Jun explained the process quite simply when he said that “if it tastes good, you should sequence it.” Criteria also includes anything with some sort of industrial use and anything that looks “cute.”
It’s comforting to see that the infinite possibilities of cloning and gene sequencing are in the hands of such consummate professionals.