Scientists attempt to grow meat in a lab

obmar · Scientists attempt to grow meat in a lab

OSTED Monday, June 04, 2007
Scientists attempt to grow meat in a lab

Related Entries: Future Tech

meat_Petri_dish.jpgWhat do you think — meat grows on trees? Maybe not, but how about in Petri dishes? Scientists in the Netherlands and the United States are working (separately) to create edible meat in the lab from animal stem cells. The U.S. is focusing on developing the technology for astronauts, while the Dutch are more ambitious: They'd like to replace the animals raised in farms with flesh that can be grown without any of the environmental downsides and ethical dilemmas that arise from keeping livestock. Think of all the vegans who could start eating meat again without any guilt! True, if we stop raising cows and pigs, Vermonters won't be able to power their homes on cow dung, but that seems a small price to pay if the synthetic meat can benefit the environment on a larger scale.

The scientists working on the project have grown only thin layers of meat cells so far, so Easter hams will be some years away. But the success of the project would bring up a thornier question: Which would you rather eat — meat grown in a lab, or Spam? — S.E. Kramer

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USL3051670020070601

obmar

The full article

Dutch try to grow enviro-friendly meat in lab
Fri Jun 1, 2007 1:14PM EDT

By Reed Stevenson

UTRECHT, The Netherlands (Reuters) - Dutch researchers are trying to grow pork meat in a laboratory with the goal of feeding millions without the need to raise and slaughter animals.

"We're trying to make meat without having to kill animals," Bernard Roelen, a veterinary science professor at Utrecht University, said in an interview.

Although it is in its early stages, the idea is to replace harvesting meat from livestock with a process that eliminates the need for animal feed, transport, land use and the methane expelled by animals, which all hurt the environment, he said.

"Keeping animals just to eat them is in fact not so good for the environment," said Roelen. "Animals need to grow, and animals produce many things that you do not eat."

Developed nations are expected to consume an average of 43 kg per capita of poultry, beef, pork and other meats this year, an amount that rises around 2 percent annually, data from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation shows.

Asked whether people would be repulsed by lab-grown meat, Roelen said he believed there would be enough demand, as much of what people eat today is already extensively processed, from the feed that animals consume to the conditions under which they are raised and the preparation of meat after slaughter.

"I can imagine that some people will have problems with it," he said. "People might think it is artificial. But some people might not realize that some part of the meat they eat is artificial."

Research is also under way in the United States, including one experiment funded by U.S. space agency NASA to see whether meat can be grown for astronauts during long space missions.

But it will take years before meat grown in labs and eventually factories reaches supermarket shelves. And so far, Roelen and his team have managed to grow only thin layers of cells that bear no resemblance to pork chops.

Under the process, researchers first isolate muscle stem cells, which have the ability to grow and multiply into muscle cells. Then they stimulate the cells to develop, give them nutrients and exercise them with electric current to build bulk.

After perfecting that process, scientists will then need to figure out how to layer tissues to add more bulk, since meat grown in petri dishes lacks the blood vessels needed to deliver nutrients through thick muscle fibers.

And then there is the question of fat, to add flavor.

obmar

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3302/05.html

Lab Meat
Lab Meat

Scientists can grow edible meat in culture from a few animal cells. Bon appétit?

The Inquisitor

How interesting, obmar.

I'd certainly try it. It can't be any worse than eating flesh from a dead animal. My daughter works in a vegan restaurant. I'll ask her if she's interested in proposing that to the owner of the restaurant.

obmar

Muslims will have to relook at what halal means....

Blue1moon

Well, I think I find this pretty scary - though I suppose some aspects of it might be good.
Truly the stuff of sci-fi!
I am not worried about Vermont's cows - lol - people will still want cheese, milk, etc!

obmar

Yes, the vermont cows will still be there for a long time yet to come.

Smile

Blue1moon

obmar

My friend had difficulty getting visa to the US.

He finally told the high commision officials to either give or return back the passports, guess he was pissed off after three weeks of waiting. Basically he told them off, and that he is not bothered at all if he is rejected.

He got a 10 year multiple visit visa in the end.
He must be annoyed and loud at the embassy, but the officials said, hey, dont blame US for what is happening to the middle east.
Blame the British, they were the first to be too smart to intervene and cleated the Palestinne state. And they left them as unfinished business.

Blue1moon

I'm glad your friend got his visa...
Blame the British, huh?
Well, perhaps they started it, but the U.S. still has no business doing what it is doing in the mid-east. ("no business" seem like such a mild term for what has happened...)
And it isn't only the U.S. it is the rich and powerful who pull the strings of our leaders and treat the populace as collateral who are the real problem.

obmar

Yes Blue, he got it.

and good for him.

But that British part is just passing the blame game.

Cool

Blue1moon

Yeah, seems like there is plenty of blame to go around...
but I guess we must move forward from the past.
Maybe one of these days we will get it right.
But it might just taking walking away from ALL our leaders, and listening to each other and God for ourselves.