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A multi billion dollar industry on the horizon ?
[Will this emerging technology bring an end to animal farming and killing for meat.?
Meat without the animal
In vitro meat, also known as laboratory-grown meat or cultured meat, is animal flesh that has never been part of a complete, living animal. Some scientists are currently experimentally growing in vitro meat in laboratories, but no meat has yet been produced for public consumption.
Potentially, any animal could be a source of cells for in vitro meat.
Many biologists assert that this technology is ready for commercial use and simply needs a company to back it. Production of lab-grown meat could even be much cheaper than regular meat.
For in vitro meat, costs only apply to the meat production, whereas for traditional meat, costs include animal raising and environmental protection (meaning there are fewer negative externalities associated with in vitro meat). However, there is disagreement over whether in vitro meat can be made economically competitive with traditional meat.
In vitro meat should not be confused with imitation meat[/B], which can be a vegetarian food product produced from vegetable protein, usually from soy or gluten. The terms "synthetic meat" and "artificial meat" are synonymous, and they may refer to either.
Meat essentially consists of animal muscle. The process of developing in vitro meat involves taking a muscle cell from an animal through a biopsy and joining the cell with a protein that helps the cell to grow into large portions of meat.[1] Once a cell was acquired, a new animal would not have to be used, akin to the production of yogurt cultures.[4]
There are, loosely, two approaches for production of in vitro meat: loose muscle cells and structured muscle, the latter one being vastly more challenging than the former.[citation needed] Muscles consist of muscle fibers, long cells with multiple nuclei.
They don't proliferate by themselves, but arise when precursor cells fuse. Precursor cells can be embryonic stem cells or satellite cells, specialized stem cells in muscle tissue. Theoretically, they can be relatively simple to culture in a bioreactor and then later made to fuse.
For the growth of real muscle however, the cells should grow "on the spot", which requires a perfusion system akin to a blood supply to deliver nutrients and oxygen close to the growing cells, as well as remove the waste products. In addition, other cell types, such as adipocytes, need to be grown, and chemical messengers should provide clues to the growing tissue about the structure. Lastly, muscle tissue needs to be physically stretched or "exercised" to properly develop.
Benefits - Health
In vitro meat is cleaner and less prone to disease and bacteria contamination than meat garnered from livestock,[1] provided that donor cells are not contaminated. With relatively simple isolation procedures, economically damaging culls could be avoided along with consumer illness and industry expense from meat recalls.
The in vitro meat is also free from the growth hormones and antibiotics that are fed to many animals in intensive factory farming.
In part because the fat content of meats could be brought more fully under our control, and also because other chemical constituents could be altered to produce the best nutrient balance, meat could be made a healthier product than at present. Specifically, researchers cite the addition of omega-3 as a positive factor. New Harvest founder and in vitro meat researcher Jason Matheny says that the fat content of a hamburger produced in vitro could be similar to that of salmon.
There is also the benefit that there are no bones involved in this form of production, which are often removed from real meat for convenience. This also reduces the risk of choking and reduces waste.
Ethical considerations
Animal welfare groups support in vitro meat because its production does not inflict pain and suffering on animals.[2] In vitro meat is grown without any nervous system, thereby avoiding ethical questions regarding pain.
.
[Will this emerging technology bring an end to animal farming and killing for meat.?
Meat without the animal
In vitro meat, also known as laboratory-grown meat or cultured meat, is animal flesh that has never been part of a complete, living animal. Some scientists are currently experimentally growing in vitro meat in laboratories, but no meat has yet been produced for public consumption.
Potentially, any animal could be a source of cells for in vitro meat.
Many biologists assert that this technology is ready for commercial use and simply needs a company to back it. Production of lab-grown meat could even be much cheaper than regular meat.
For in vitro meat, costs only apply to the meat production, whereas for traditional meat, costs include animal raising and environmental protection (meaning there are fewer negative externalities associated with in vitro meat). However, there is disagreement over whether in vitro meat can be made economically competitive with traditional meat.
In vitro meat should not be confused with imitation meat[/B], which can be a vegetarian food product produced from vegetable protein, usually from soy or gluten. The terms "synthetic meat" and "artificial meat" are synonymous, and they may refer to either.
Meat essentially consists of animal muscle. The process of developing in vitro meat involves taking a muscle cell from an animal through a biopsy and joining the cell with a protein that helps the cell to grow into large portions of meat.[1] Once a cell was acquired, a new animal would not have to be used, akin to the production of yogurt cultures.[4]
There are, loosely, two approaches for production of in vitro meat: loose muscle cells and structured muscle, the latter one being vastly more challenging than the former.[citation needed] Muscles consist of muscle fibers, long cells with multiple nuclei.
They don't proliferate by themselves, but arise when precursor cells fuse. Precursor cells can be embryonic stem cells or satellite cells, specialized stem cells in muscle tissue. Theoretically, they can be relatively simple to culture in a bioreactor and then later made to fuse.
For the growth of real muscle however, the cells should grow "on the spot", which requires a perfusion system akin to a blood supply to deliver nutrients and oxygen close to the growing cells, as well as remove the waste products. In addition, other cell types, such as adipocytes, need to be grown, and chemical messengers should provide clues to the growing tissue about the structure. Lastly, muscle tissue needs to be physically stretched or "exercised" to properly develop.
Benefits - Health
In vitro meat is cleaner and less prone to disease and bacteria contamination than meat garnered from livestock,[1] provided that donor cells are not contaminated. With relatively simple isolation procedures, economically damaging culls could be avoided along with consumer illness and industry expense from meat recalls.
The in vitro meat is also free from the growth hormones and antibiotics that are fed to many animals in intensive factory farming.
In part because the fat content of meats could be brought more fully under our control, and also because other chemical constituents could be altered to produce the best nutrient balance, meat could be made a healthier product than at present. Specifically, researchers cite the addition of omega-3 as a positive factor. New Harvest founder and in vitro meat researcher Jason Matheny says that the fat content of a hamburger produced in vitro could be similar to that of salmon.
There is also the benefit that there are no bones involved in this form of production, which are often removed from real meat for convenience. This also reduces the risk of choking and reduces waste.
Ethical considerations
Animal welfare groups support in vitro meat because its production does not inflict pain and suffering on animals.[2] In vitro meat is grown without any nervous system, thereby avoiding ethical questions regarding pain.
.
