Latest news with #ShojiTakeuchi
Japan Times
21-04-2025
- Science
- Japan Times
New method developed to make cultured meat thicker
A team led by University of Tokyo professor Shoji Takeuchi has developed a new method to make cultured meat as thick as about 1 centimeter. Cultured meat is produced by multiplying livestock cells. Conventional methods resulted in thin pieces of such meat because efforts to make the meat thicker caused the cells to die from lack of nutrients. By incorporating hollow fibers into the cell culture process, the team succeeded in creating meat that was about 1 centimeter thick and weighed about 11 grams. In the new method, the team poured chicken cells and culture solution into a cell culture device with many hollow fibers, each slightly thicker than a strand of hair. The inside of the cultured meat was also fresh, thanks to nutrients and oxygen seeping into the meat through the hollow fibers. As the cells lined up along the hollow fibers, the meat had a texture similar to animal meat, the team said. The flavor of the cultured meat is also believed to have improved as it contained a larger amount of amino acids. "The world has yet to establish an effective method for producing cultured meat that can be mistaken for real meat," Takeuchi said. "I think the new method will contribute to this field." The team's findings were published in an international biotechnology journal on Wednesday. Cultured meat, which is expected to help solve food shortages and reduce environmental burdens, has been approved for sale in Singapore, the United States and other countries. The latest technology for cultured meat is on display at the ongoing 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
NDTV
21-04-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Japanese Scientists Create The World's Largest Lab-Grown Chicken Nugget
It would not be an exaggeration to say that science can make anything possible. Picture this: you are munching on crunchy chicken nuggets that, in reality, are not even made from chicken. Yes, it is possible. Researchers have made a breakthrough in the culinary sector, producing lab-grown meat by creating nugget-sized pieces of chicken. The scientific procedure used a device that mimics blood vessels in the human body, enabling the meat to grow. This method uses tiny hollow fibres to deliver nutrients and oxygen to chicken muscle cells in a gel-like substance. Also Read: Watch: Viral Video Of Dahi Tikhari Recipe Gets Over 48 Million Views, Internet Reacts Through this technique, scientists produced meat up to 2 cm long and 1 cm thick in size, reported The Guardian. The researchers believe this hollow fiber bioreactor could also be used to create whole chickens, pork, beef, and fish in the lab. They have also mentioned that the method might eventually produce functional human organs. Professor Derek Stewart at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee described the lab-grown meat as "a transformative step" and "a really elegant solution." He said, "They have created something of a size and scale that people are hardwired to eat: it is the chicken nugget model." Also Read: Bengaluru Woman Helps Local Sugarcane Vendor With Google Maps Listing, Wins Hearts Online The researchers faced a major challenge in creating the specialised meat: transferring oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells in thick sections of tissue. Without these components, muscle cells can die. Professor Shoji Takeuchi at the University of Tokyo found a solution to the problem by constructing a bioreactor with semi-permeable fibers. Professor Takeuchi explained, "One of the key challenges in growing thick tissue is that cells in the centre can struggle to receive enough oxygen and nutrients, which may lead to cell death. Our system helped address this by providing internal perfusion, allowing us to support the growth of thicker, more consistent tissue." At present, the hollow fibers are removed by hand once the meat grows. However, the researchers are planning to replace them with edible cellulose fibers that can remain in the meat and alter its texture.
21-04-2025
- Science
New Method Developed to Make Cultured Meat Thicker
News from Japan Science Technology Apr 21, 2025 18:25 (JST) Tokyo, April 21 (Jiji Press)--A team led by University of Tokyo professor Shoji Takeuchi has developed a new method to make cultured meat as thick as about 1 centimeter. Cultured meat is produced by multiplying livestock cells. Conventional methods resulted in thin pieces of such meat because efforts to make the meat thicker caused the cells to die from lack of nutrients. By incorporating hollow fibers into the cell culture process, the team succeeded in creating meat that was about 1 centimeter thick and weighed about 11 grams. In the new method, the team poured chicken cells and culture solution into a cell culture device with many hollow fibers, each slightly thicker than a strand of hair. The inside of the cultured meat was also fresh, thanks to nutrients and oxygen seeping into the meat through the hollow fibers. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Sky News
17-04-2025
- Science
- Sky News
Scientists create lab-grown chunks of chicken in 'breakthrough' that could pave way for larger cuts of meat
A team of Japanese scientists have created chunks of lab-grown chicken - in a "breakthrough" experts say could pave the way for the creation of larger cuts of meat. In the quest to cultivate meat without the climate impact of farmed animals, scientists have so far only been able to grow tiny chunks of animal cells that have been used to recreate minced meat products like pork meatballs. But a Japanese team has pioneered a new method to grow larger pieces of chicken in a lab, which they say recreates the texture and structure of a piece of meat that has so far proved so elusive. Independent experts have hailed it a "breakthrough" and a "meaningful technical achievement". The researchers involved believe it paves the way for whole cuts of chicken, beef, and fish to be grown in the lab. "Cultured meat offers a sustainable, ethical alternative to conventional meat," said Shoji Takeuchi from Tokyo University, senior author of the paper published this week in peer-reviewed journal Trends in Biotechnology. "However, replicating the texture and taste of whole-cut meat remains difficult. Our technology enables the production of structured meat with improved texture and flavour." Their method used fine hollow fibres that mimic blood vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients to living chicken muscle cells, growing them into lumps of meat up to 2cm long and 1cm thick, weighing 10 grams. "These fibres are already commonly used in household water filters and dialysis machines for patients with kidney disease. "It's exciting to discover that these tiny fibres can also effectively help create artificial tissues and, possibly, whole organs in the future." 1:55 Overcoming the 'ick factor' Prof Derek Stewart from The James Hutton Institute, told Sky News: "I'd class this as a technical breakthrough". Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma from Imperial College London called it a "meaningful technical achievement that they have produced a cultivated chicken meat several centimetres thick". This, combined with other work on fine-tuning flavours and reducing costs, puts us "comfortably on track towards an exciting and appealing new range of products", he said. But in order for cultivated meat products to "hit the supermarket shelves in a big way, they need to also be a hit with consumers". The industry prefers the term "alternative protein" to "lab-grown meat" because it is worried the former gives people the "ick". One survey by the Food Standards Agency found a third of UK consumers would be willing to try lab-grown meat. Although the science has advanced rapidly in recent years, no products have yet been authorised for humans to eat, though they have for pets. But the government wants to change that, last year announcing £15m of funding, topping up £23m from other sources, to try to get them onto our plates in the next two years. That includes speeding up the approvals process so that it can keep up with the evolving science, and lowering currently high input costs. Dr Amaro-Ledesma added: "Cultivated meat is a promising alternative to conventional meat because it offers the potential to reduce environmental impacts (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use), eliminate the need for animal slaughter, and improve food safety by avoiding the use of antibiotics and reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases, amongst other advantages." Lydia Collas, head of natural environment at Green Alliance, said: "We keep seeing exciting breakthroughs towards more sustainable sources of protein, and with decisive action this can be a real opportunity for the UK. "We already have a lead, thanks to our world-leading biotech industry and high food quality and safety standards. "The government's forthcoming industrial strategy must include measures to grow the UK industry, which, according to our research, could add £6.8bn to the UK economy every year and create 25,000 new jobs by 2035."
Telegraph
16-04-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Chicken nuggets grown in lab for first time
Japanese scientists have grown chicken nuggets in a lab in a world first. They invented a process that mimics blood vessels to allow cells to grow in layers of muscle tissue, in a breakthrough that could finally lead to realistic engineered meat. Currently, lab-grown chicken is made using sheets of cells less than 1mm thick that then need to be processed into something resembling meat, or minced, leading to an unrealistic texture. In contrast, engineers in Tokyo produced a bite-sized piece of whole-cut chicken weighing more than 10g. The size of the chunk was determined by the small bioreactor that created it, but scientists are hopeful that they can build larger pieces with a larger bioreactor. 'Cultured meat offers a sustainable, ethical alternative to conventional meat,' said Dr Shoji Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo. 'However, replicating the texture and taste of whole-cut meat remains difficult. 'Our technology enables the production of structured meat with improved texture and flavour, potentially accelerating its commercial viability. 'We're using semipermeable hollow fibres, which mimic blood vessels in their ability to deliver nutrients to the tissues. 'Our study presents a scalable, top-down strategy for producing whole-cut cultured meat.' Cultured meat offers a promising alternative to conventional meat because it stops the need to slaughter animals, reduces environmental effects and can improve food safety by avoiding the use of antibiotics and reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases. But it has proved difficult to perfect. The new system uses a grid of hollow fibres that are already commonly used in household water filters and dialysis machines for patients with kidney disease. The fibres, arranged in a 3D grid formation, allow nutrients and oxygen to be delivered to a pool of fibroblast cells, which form connective tissue, allowing them grow into a thick chunk of muscle. Previously, creating large-scale tissue has been hampered because it was difficult to create networks of blood vessels that could sustain the growth of densely packed cells. But in the new technique, the blood vessels are replaced by regular tubes that give all the ingredients needed to the muscles to keep growing, even in thick tissue. The research team thinks that it might even be possible to use the process to grow organs. 'It's exciting to discover that these tiny fibres can also effectively help create artificial tissues and, possibly, whole organs in the future,' added Dr Takeuchi. 'Beyond food, this platform may also impact regenerative medicine and soft robotics.' Currently, the team needs to remove the fibres from the meat by hand, once it is grown, but they are working on an automated system. They are also considering designing edible fibres which could become part of the meat. Experts said the breakthrough was an 'exciting advance' on the path to creating lab-grown meat that was close to the original. Commenting on the breakthrough, Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma, the director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, at Imperial College London, said: 'It's a meaningful technical achievement that they have produced a cultivated chicken meat several centimetres thick. 'If you combine that with the research we're conducting – fine-tuning flavour profiles and exploring alternative, cost-effective raw materials – we're comfortably on track towards an exciting and appealing new range of products.' Prof Derek Stewart, the co-director of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre at the James Hutton Institute, said: 'This is an exciting advance in the alternative protein sector and specifically culture meat, and addresses many of the challenges that were seen as stumbling blocks such as aligned cell growth to deliver the meat texture sensory experience as well as the fundamental issues of getting nutrients and oxygen to the growing solid meat tissue. 'The use of hollow fibre supports – in essence scaffolds – and the advances herein will open up many areas of allied research (and undoubtedly investment) with scale-up options now seemingly achievable.'
