Would you eat a hamburger made from stem cells? On August 5, 2013, the first hamburger, made using this technique, was presented and enjoyed.
The research was carried out by biologist Mark Post, from Maastricht University. The meat for making the hamburger was created from stem cells taken from a cow. These cells were placed in a culture medium, where they differentiated into muscle cells. The researchers intertwined about 20,000 strands of proteins to make the hamburger.
For the tasting, the hamburger was prepared with products such as salt and breadcrumbs. Beet juice was used to add color to the material.
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Mark Post believes laboratory farming would help in the face of a food crisis and global change, as cattle are a major emitter of methane. However, the researchers involved in the research believe that, to reach the market, this meat would take an average of 10 to 20 years.
The expense for the production of the hamburger was about 325,000 dollars, donated by Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
by Vanessa dos Santos
Graduated in Biology
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "Stem Cell Burger"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/hamburguer-celulas-tronco.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.