Researchers present the first laboratory Burger - Spiegel Online

London – Of course, one wonders how it tastes! Muscle meat of beef, but only indirectly from animals. Because the cells are grown in the laboratory, in a nutrient solution. There they were tiny strips, about 20,000 of which has a research team from the University of Maastricht processed into a meatball.

Scientists in London have just launched on Monday in a type show that burger – including live cooking and food testing. The U.S. Food Author Josh Schonwald and the Austrian food researcher Hanni Rützler got the first appetizers served. Rützler said she had thought the meatball was softer. The fat-free product come “close to flesh approach”, it is just not quite as juicy as meat. “The consistency is perfect, but I miss salt and pepper”, Rützler added. Also missing both ketchup.

To leave the laboratory product as a homemade burgers look fresh from the grill, salt, powdered egg and bread crumbs for taste and beetroot juice and saffron were added for color. But why should meat ever grow in the laboratory

hunger for beef, pork and poultry is increasing worldwide. On average, a person consumes 42.5 kg of meat per year, calculated on a report recently. In Germany, the consumption is around 60 kg per capita. The necessary resources are large, the consequences for the environment tremendously. About a quarter of the food crops produced in the world do not end up on the plate, but in the feeding trough. If mankind renounce meat, scientists calculated that global crop could make four billion people more satisfied.

“From an ethical standpoint it only has advantages,” says scientist Mark Post in the presentation video of Culturedbeef.net. There also Google founders Sergey Brin has his say, which lists three alternatives that exist in his view. First, all people could be vegetarian, what he himself does not believe. Second, one could go on as before, and ignore the problems, what a pity the environment. The third option is to do something new -. Then bringing the lab meat would mean

lab grown meat, as the theory requires much less resources. It could even eventually do entirely without animal materials when simply multiply the stem cells under the right conditions always on and constantly new muscle meat can be produced.

A half a millimeter thick, 22 mm long

But

to grow meat in the lab, is anything but trivial. For many years, researchers try it. 2004 started three universities in the Netherlands a project to breed meat in the laboratory. The state had funded the research with two million euros. The scientists made it to 2009 to breed of meat, which were about 22 mm long, 8 mm wide and half a millimeter thick.

They used it from the muscle tissue derived stem cells from cows. These cells they were a few weeks in the laboratory grow. Then they brought the cells to to develop into muscle cells. On a special substrate and with the right culture media, these tiny strips and protein build up.

2011 consisted Mark Post and his colleagues at the University of Maastricht, the goal is to create a hamburger from laboratory meat. Now they have presented the results after they had moved the date back considerably.

The necessary amount of cells they have taken two pain-free living animals, the researchers report. Only a biopsy could theoretically grow to 20,000 tons of meat laboratory.

Much research needs

The technology still hooked in some places, what the scientists also admit:

The strips of muscle tissue are very small. For larger pieces to blood vessels or similar supply channels needed to deliver the nutrients to all cells. A meatball can be produced so a steak but no way.

will have only grown muscle cells. The researchers now want to work from manufacturing adipose tissue.

myoglobin, muscle meat turns red and contains iron, has rarely been produced in the cells. This should also be improved in further experiments.

date the cells grow on media containing so-called fetal calf serum. This comes, as the name suggests, from calf fetuses. Meanwhile, however, the researchers tested culture media that do not require this addition. The goal is to use something that lacks the either of raw materials such as seaweed extracts or produced artificially.

Post and his team work with a special type of stem cell, called Myosatellitenzellen they gain from the muscle tissue of cows. This cell type is that they are very easy to advantage to develop muscle. However, it also has the disadvantage that these cells do not divide indefinitely. So you always need supplies of the cow. Alternatively, it is conceivable to take embryonic stem cells or animal body to convert into stem cells in the laboratory. However, this brings back other difficulties.

To flesh out of the lab is a real alternative to natural meat is so pass some time. And the researchers will still need a lot of money to advance their projects. Maybe after today’s presentation can be found some new donors. Mark Post had already said last year that he wanted to change the debate – away from the idea that this could never work out and to the point that you just need more research. And which must be financed.

post says, in 10 to 20 years could the meat from the Petri dish to be ready for the market.