Lab-grown meat is first step to artificial hamburger

[tydas]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16972761

Gross...

 

[HumblePie]

Gross. Reminds me of that Japanese cartoon I read back a few years ago about creating little monsters that could eat anything but glass and using those as a meat food source. Which they then escape and eat all of humanity or something like that.

 

[Gibsons]

I think atot has already trademarked 'cancer meat.'

 

[crashtestdummy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16972761

Gross...

Is it? I mean, it does have the benefit of sidestepping all those pesky ethical issues about killing animals.

 

[QuantumPion]

Yummy

 

[jme5343]

Better than the CorpSEcor "Secret Burgers"

 

[JimmiG]

I like the idea. Ethical issues aside, animal rearing is hopelessly inefficient. This could potentially be even more efficient than the Matrix Chicken Farm. Think of all the corn, grain etc. that could be used for other things, such as in the production of biofuels or as part of food products for humans.

Who knows, maybe in 50 years, the idea of killing and eating an actual animal will seem gross and barbaric. Everyone would essentially be vegetarian.

 

[feralkid]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16972761

Gross...

So is a dead animal.

 

[Genx87]

What is wrong with this? If you cant tell the difference what does it matter? There are some realities we will need to come to terms with and one of them is we may not have enough space to rear enough animals to provide the food the world consumes. Being able to grow this in a machine of some type at faster and more efficient rates will help solve those issues.

 

[coldmeat]

I wonder what kinds of meat we could make that weren't possible on real animals.

 

[XX55XX]

If it doesn't taste like a veggieburger, I'll eat it.

 

[Gothgar]

mmm Pink slime

 

[destrekor]

What is wrong with this? If you cant tell the difference what does it matter? There are some realities we will need to come to terms with and one of them is we may not have enough space to rear enough animals to provide the food the world consumes. Being able to grow this in a machine of some type at faster and more efficient rates will help solve those issues.

This.

A lot of people have a resistance to anything that appears "unnatural", but they have not stopped to think about natural actually means in the end.

Once this gets rolling, and they are able to produce "artificial" meat for the same price, or cheaper, than meat from slaughtered animals, it's something that will benefit our species immensely. More importantly, in terms of the principle, this is no different than meat from animals. Yes, the means of production is vastly different, but only in some ways.
Instead of biochemicals coming together inside of an animal, along with what is necessary to nourish said animal (which is the means of acquiring said biochemicals for the body to go about making/repairing tissue, among other things), we could skip the actual "body" step and get right to producing the tissues, and only the tissues, that we actually need.
Once the technology and processes have matured, we can actually produce what we currently get from animals, with a lot less resources.

And once all of this does truly mature, we should be able to construct tissues that have the natural balance of nourishment nature would normally provide had we not meddled in the first place (changing natural diets of our livestock to fit our lifestyle/financial needs, at the cost of our physiological needs). I imagine they'll also be able to change up the specific nutrients that act as "input", as well as shapes, fiber densities, natural constituents within specific cuts of meat... and thus produce wholly-artificial food products that taste and have the same mouth-feel as the comparable livestock-produced cut.

I've always imagined this would be a result of our progress, I just wondered when we'd get there, and when it would be absolutely necessary... the big hope, and concern, is to have this kind of ability BEFORE it is overdue. Hopefully by the time it is developed and cost-efficient, that wont be the case.

 

[BladeVenom]

If lab grown meat works, what happens to the domesticated animals that were raised for meat?

 

[coldmeat]

If lab grown meat works, what happens to the domesticated animals that were raised for meat?

There will always be people out there that will refuse to buy lab grown meat, just like there are people who only eat organic fruits and vegetables.

 

[Imp]

If lab grown meat works, what happens to the domesticated animals that were raised for meat?

Don't worry, those will be "organic". OP says burder is 200k pounds. Once expensive burger...

It's kind of weird to eat lab grown meat, but on the other hand, I don't want to kill my own animals (we all have other people do our dirty work for us), so this all works out.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm all for the development of this. At least for the mass production meat. There would still be animals raised on private farms and what not, and that would be premium meat, that you get at a local butcher for example.

In one way it does seem really unnatural, but at the end of the day, if the same piece of matter matches, then it's just a different way of getting to the same end result. And it has the bonus of being more ethical as it would cut down on mass killings that go on each day.

 

[William Gaatjes]

The meat will be good when they stimulate the muscle fibers with electricity.
Otherwise it will be really squishy.

The taste difference is the same when one eats meat from a free running animal in comparison with a caged animal.

But the real advantage as posted above is far more efficient use of resources.
Instead of growing an entire animal (which is used up for 100% these days),
there will only muscles grown. But these muscles really need to be electrically stimulated for proper "bite" and taste. Exercise makes muscles contain more protein. The muscle fibers get thicker because of exercise.

The other advantage is that since this must be grown in a sterile production environment, is that there is less to no need for antibiotics or growth hormones. It is far more easier to control infectious pathogens. And if the artificially grown muscles are infected, it is less of waste when compared with destroying (killing and burning) for example 100.000 pigs, or cows, or sheep or chickens.

Vitamins and minerals can even be added but i do not think that is really needed when consuming a healthy balanced diner.

Everyday steak without having to kill an animal.

 

[surfsatwerk]

I need a face on the food I eat.

 

[vi edit]

I know how crappy hydroponic tomatoes are. I don't even want to know how bad a petrie dish grown steak will taste.

If it comes down to the point where meat is that difficult to mass produce then I'm raising my own, or paying somebody to it. A perk of living in podunk flyoverstateville.

EDIT: I already do that for beef. I split a quarter a year that are raised about 7 miles from my house by a coworker. I'm sure I could secure a free-range chicken and pork supplier if needed.

 

[vi edit]

The other advantage is that since this must be grown in a sterile production environment, is that there is less to no need for antibiotics or growth hormones. It is far more easier to control infectious pathogens. And if the artificially grown muscles are infected, it is less of waste when compared with destroying (killing and burning) for example 100.000 pigs, or cows, or sheep or chickens.

At the very end of that article it says this:

Dr Steele, who is also a molecular biologist, said he was also concerned that unhealthily high levels of antibiotics and antifungal chemicals would be needed to stop the synthetic meat from rotting.

 

[William Gaatjes]

I have to add, electrical stimulation of muscles is not enough, an apparatus would be needed that emulates resistance training on the fibers combined with electrical stimulation to make the muscles contract and slowly stretch. Emulating nerve cells.

 

[William Gaatjes]

At the very end of that article it says this:

Dr Steele, who is also a molecular biologist, said he was also concerned that unhealthily high levels of antibiotics and antifungal chemicals would be needed to stop the synthetic meat from rotting.

That is an issue also for animals grown for food.
It is the same for all meat. In a healthy animal the immune system takes care of this. Animals grown for food are not that healthy. Hence the pretty common antibiotic shots.

However, in a sterile environment it can be done with far less antibiotics. For example surfaces covered
with titanium dioxide. When radiated with intense UV light, bacterial cell walls fall apart. Easier to implement in a production facility than a stable.

 

[vi edit]

However, in a sterile environment it can be done with far less antibiotics. For example surfaces covered with titanium dioxide. When radiated with intense UV light, bacterial cell walls fall apart.

So I'm trading one potential health risk for another?

 

[William Gaatjes]

So I'm trading one potential health risk for another?

No not at all when properly implemented. Nature has ways to cope with infections. When you think you have clean hands, do not bother. We are all covered with a thin layer of bacteria on our skin. I do think these are our first line of defense. And since the immune system is confronted with these bacteria so often, the immune system has an extensive "library" on how to deal with these on the skin and in orifices living bacteria.

We probably have to emulate those functions. One way for example is to use "friendly" bacteria. Bacteria that do not make humans sick, can be introduced on the meat. These bacteria fight off other bacteria and can even keep fungi in check. This would mean the meat has to be handled just as any other meat. It must be kept cold after harvesting. Combine that with titanium dioxide surfaces and intense UV light. That turns into a pretty controllable situation when producing. Think of the fluids covering an unborn child inside the womb...