The company, formed in 1998 by a group of Iowa State University researchers, recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the use of ultrasound technology.

The Small Business Innovative Research grant totaled $80,000 for its first phase. A second phase, if awarded, could be for as much as $350,000.

Doyle Wilson, president of Biotronics, said he wants swine breeders to use ultrasound so they can identify pigs with the genetic trait for producing juicier and tastier pork by putting some fat back into the meat.

For 15 years, the pork industry has been trying to make pork leaner so it can compete with chicken and other cuts of meat with less fat, Wilson said.

Source: Des Moines Register