It would be totally cool if we could make it cheap and accessible to grow cloned stem cell lines from animal species and actually generate music [I meant muscle. Word fail] tissue and organs for consumption.
We have the technology too. It’s not terribly easy to do yet. But it could essentially make entirely vegan meat and other animal products, without hurting a single animal.
I have been in favor of in vitro production of meat tissue for several reasons, the most prominent of which is that it will most likely have the capacity to be drastically more efficient than the traditional model of raising stock animals. In terms of thermodynamics, the constant motion and activity of animals as they mature ensures that much of the food they eat will be passed as waste rather than being converted to human-consumable muscle and organs. By culturing meat cells this kind of waste could be mitigated dramatically; in a world with an ever-growing population and risk of shortage in food production, our impact on our already troubled planet could be reduced.
I have a few observations to make, the first of which being that the technology is actually not yet fully realized. There are many factors which influence tissue formation in an organism which extend to both the biophysical (cell to cell interaction, environmental exposure, stress, etc.) and the biochemical (hormonal signaling, metabolic regulation, etc.). What this means is that outside of an organism proper, propagation of muscle cells may not produce tissue which closely resembles that of normal muscle tissue unless great care is taken to simulate certain parts of the organismal environment.
There is active research in these issues, largely surrounding the goal that stem cells be able to differentiate and mature into tissues and organs that could benefit humans and save lives. Non-biological matrix materials are being produced to help cells grow in an organism-like environment (much like a scaffold) with appropriate chemical cues to form tissue. Developmental biologists study how tissues are formed and how they interact with each other.
I’d like to point out a few major reservations, or I should say obstacles. regarding the viability of growing meat in vitro. It’s unlikely that at any point (or at least the conceivable near future) the in vitro meat will be indistinguishable from meat grown in an animal. Since we are already seeking to meet an aesthetic demand—it would more sensible and efficient to become vegetarian and/or culture simpler yet nutritionally complete organic material—those that consume meat will need to grow accustomed to the approximation of animal tissue. This perceived inferiority (depending on which criteria one chooses) will couple with a general public skepticism regarding change and “meddling” with biology to significantly reduce the demand for cultured meat. A sizable portion of vegetarians and vegans object to meat consumption on ethical grounds concerning animal oppression and harm, though these may opine that in vitro meat is ethically acceptable, it does not stand to reason that all will be so accepting. Whether due to lack of scientific clarity or a myriad of possible contentions, some may maintain that such consumption is unethical. Moreover there are many people who believe that meat is intrinsically unhealthy (a claim of varied veracity) and may assume that human-modified meat will be even more so.
In this author’s opinion, in vitro meat is not the best solution to the concern of world hunger but it might be one of the most viable options to ease humanity into a more sustainable future. As a strategy for reducing our dependence on the grossly inefficient practice of raising livestock it absolutely must be accompanied with a shift in cultural values around the world.
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serpentspoiler liked this
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genderbitch reblogged this from protozoa and added:
anything I want from...societal values. That...said, forcing...
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protozoa reblogged this from genderbitch and added:
I have been in favor of in vitro production of meat tissue for several reasons, the most prominent of which is that it...
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protozoa said:
Could you clarify what you mean by “music tissue”? I am not sure what you could be trying to suggest…
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leterel liked this
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genderbitch posted this
