Thursday, July 31, 2025 | 2:00 PM ET
PIC will be one of the first organizations to introduce a gene-edited protein into the food supply, but there are more than 500 gene-edited crops and livestock under development worldwide. The technology is being used to achieve disease resistance, improve nutritional content, eliminate seeds in produce, make crops more tolerant to drought, and reduce food waste.
In the PRRS-resistant pig, PIC used gene-editing to precisely delete a portion of the gene where the PRRS virus (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome) enters the pig. Without the binding site, the virus cannot make the pig sick, which means we could have a pork supply with improved animal welfare, reduced need for antibiotics, and a reduced environmental impact.
During this webinar, learn more about the potential of gene editing technology in agriculture, the PRRS-resistant pig, PIC’s recent FDA approval, and what it means (and what it doesn’t mean) for the future of the industry and each stakeholder in the pork value chain.
Education Supported By

Pig Improvement Company (PIC) - North America
Global Director, Product Sustainability
Banks Baker is Global Director of Product Sustainability for PIC, a global animal genetics and biotechnology company. He is responsible for the global introduction and launch of one of the first gene edits for commercial livestock, a pig that is resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus.
Banks supports genetic improvement and gene editing as a way to continually improve animal agriculture and provide holistic benefits across the value chain, including improved animal welfare, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and more efficient protein production.
Previously, Banks led protein sustainability for McDonald’s USA, creating and implementing greenhouse gas reduction strategies and managing animal health and welfare commitments and antibiotic policies.
Banks has an undergraduate business degree from Warren Wilson College and holds master’s degrees in agriculture and business from Colorado State University and The University of Notre Dame.