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The future of meat
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:19 pm
by YMix
Instead of getting meat from animals raised in pastures, he wants to grow steaks in lab conditions, directly from muscle stem cells. If successful, the technology will transform the way we produce food. "We want to turn meat production from a farming process to a factory process," he explained.
Prof Post is not the first to dream this dream. In the mid 20th Century, Dutchman Willem van Eelen - back then a budding medical student - dreamt of creating meat without killing animals, by using stem cells.
A stem cell is a special type of cell capable of replicating itself many many times and differentiating into specialised cell types, such as muscle cells.
Dr van Eelen pursued his dream for decades, but made little progress. Then in 1999 he was granted a patent on the idea and slowly the world started to take notice.
In 2002, NASA took a passing interest in the idea and funded Morris Benjaminson at Touro College, New York, to investigate making meat from muscle cells as a way to feed astronauts on deep space journeys.
Much more at this link.
Re: The future of meat
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:52 pm
by Nonc Hilaire
I want ribeye steak trees, svp.
Re: The future of meat
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:59 pm
by Typhoon
Nature | Food: A taste of things to come?
Researchers are sure that they can put lab-grown meat on the menu — if they can just get cultured muscle cells to bulk up.
A good article describing the challenges that have to be overcome before Nonc Hilaire can take up rib-eye steak tree farming.
A schematic of the plan:
Credit:
Nature
Re: The future of meat
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:43 pm
by crashtech
Flavor, iron, and vitamins? Just like baby formula, so much for science being able to better Nature. I doubt they'll ever identify all the micronutrients required to make a true reasonable facsimile, much less make it taste good.
Re: The future of meat
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:54 am
by Atmosphere
I've read that the hardest hurdle is the exercising step. But even after that, I can't imagine what will have to be added to the product for it to taste good (normal?). After all the chemicals and preservatives, it probably won't be organic, so the health-conscious will remain wary.
But a lot of other world hunger problems can be solved if it can ever be worked out. It's very worthy of more investment.
Re: The future of meat
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 8:21 am
by YMix
Atmosphere wrote:But a lot of other world hunger problems can be solved if it can ever be worked out. It's very worthy of more investment.
Most likely, this production technique will solve just as many world hunger problems as the agricultural revolution. Rich countries will have it, poor countries won't. The cities of industrialized nations will grow even bigger as more and more migrants will come in search of jobs and cheap food.
Re: The future of meat
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:25 am
by Azrael
Why not make ambergris in a lab? It sells for thousands of dollars per ounce. For artificial meat, you'd need to be able to produce it for a few bucks per pound to make any money.
Re: The future of meat
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:21 am
by Marcus
The future of meat?
- IMG_0906-1.jpg (180.62 KiB) Viewed 3618 times
Speaking for Alaska, that is . .
