Scientists Produce 'Petri Dish' Pork
By Pork news source
| Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Petri DishAlthough they haven’t tasted it yet, scientists have grown pork in the laboratory for the first time, reports TimesOnline.co.uk. Experts in Holland used cells from a live pig to replicate growth in a petri dish.
Scientists initially extracted cells from the muscle of a live pig. These cells, called myoblasts, are programmed to grow into muscle. The scientists believe the breakthrough could produce sausages and other laboratory-grown processed products within five years.
“You could take the meat from one animal and create the volume of meat previously provided by a million animals,” said Mark Post, professor of physiology at Eindhoven University, who is leading the Dutch government-funded research.
So far, the laboratory-produced meat is “soggy” but the scientists are seeking ways to improve the texture. “If it feels and tastes like meat, people will buy it,” says Post.
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Source: TimesOnline
