You might have heard about a new type of meat that can be produced without harming animals or harming the environment. This infographic will show you everything you need to know about cultured meat, which might be on your plate sooner than you think.
In the not-so-distant future, the vegan diet might include meat. Researchers around the world are working on what until now would have just been science fiction: growing meat in the lab without the animal. Known as cultured meat or lab-grown meat, the technology can grow a small muscle biopsy from an animal and transform it into a burger or steak.
Since Mark Post grew the first cultured burger in 2013, scientists around the world have been working on scaling the technology for industrial production. And while there are still some aspects that the scientists need to figure out to grow different types and forms of meat, the first cultured meat products could be bought in the supermarket as soon as 2020. The first one will likely be the classic cow burger, but soon we might have chicken nuggets, turkey fillets, tuna steak and foie gras made in the lab without any animal involved. To learn all about how cultured meat is made, its benefits and its limitations, check out this cool infographic we have put together.
I’m personally excited to see the first cultured meat burgers one day in the supermarket. I’m definitely trying it, what about you? Leave your comments below.
This infographic was made by Etienne Raimondeau. He just completed his PhD in Biochemistry & Structural Biology at EMBL. When not pipetting, he enjoys communicating science through illustrations! You can find more of his work here.