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What is Cell Culture?
Cell culture is the process by which cells are grown in controlled conditions which mimic their conventional growth environment. Cultivated meat is the most well-known application of cell culture technology which is a pioneering approach to producing meat without the need for industrial animal husbandry. Cells are nurtured and grown into muscle and fat tissues that closely resemble conventional meat. This technology harnesses the natural processes of cell division and tissue growth, enabling the production of meat that is biologically identical to conventional meat but without the associated drawbacks. Cell culture technology can also be applied to plant cells to manufacture products like cocoa, coffee and cotton in more sustainable and ethical ways.
The Process:
- Biopsy: The process begins by isolating a small sample of tissue
- Cell Isolation: The desired cells are then isolated from the tissue
- Cell Proliferation: Inputs of plant-based growth medium, oxygen and water are introduced to stimulate the growth of cells into vast quantities of biomass
- Tissue Formation: A change in conditions initiates cells to form tissues. For the production of meat, the proliferated animal cells cells are then guided to form three-dimensional muscle-like structures, similar to how meat grows in animals’ bodies. For plant-based products like cocoa and coffee, the cells form tissues in the same way they would on a plant. Tissues are then cultivated in bioreactors that provide a controlled environment, including the regulation of temperature, oxygen levels, and nutrient supply
- Harvesting and Processing: Once the biomass reaches a desired level of maturity, it is harvested, processed, and crafted into various consumer products that are nutritionally identical to those which are conventionally produced
Advantages of Cultivated Meat:
- Sustainability: The technology has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact associated with protein production when compared with industrial animal farming. It requires fewer natural resources like land, water, and feed, and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
- Animal Welfare: Since cultivated meat does not involve raising and slaughtering animals, it alleviates concerns related to animal welfare, including issues of confinement, stress, and inhumane practices.
- Food Security: With the world’s population projected to increase, cultivated meat presents a solution to the challenge of providing protein to a growing global population without further straining natural resources.
- Health and Safety: The controlled environment in which cultivated meat is produced reduces the risk of contamination by foodborne pathogens and eliminates the need for antibiotics which are used ubiquitously in industrial animal farming.