Cellular agriculture
**History and Development of Cellular Agriculture:**
– Cellular agriculture products commercialized in late 20th century with insulin and rennet.
– FDA approved genetically engineered bacterium for rennet production in 1990.
– Jason Matheny founded New Harvest in 2004 to advance cellular agriculture.
– IndieBio incubated several cellular agriculture startups in 2014.
– Mercy for Animals created The Good Food Institute in 2015.
**Applications of Cellular Agriculture:**
– Cellular agriculture can create various agricultural products beyond food.
– Cultured meat is a significant application of cellular agriculture.
– Cultured meat production can address environmental, animal welfare, and food security issues.
– Companies are exploring the production of various meats and seafood through cellular agriculture.
**Specific Products of Cellular Agriculture:**
– Dairy products: Perfect Day, New Culture, Real Vegan Cheese, Formo, Imagindairy.
– Eggs: The EVERY Company.
– Gelatin: Geltor.
– Coffee: Afineur.
– Horseshoe crab blood: Sothic Bioscience.
– Fish products: Finless Foods, Wild Type.
– Fragrances: Ginkgo Bioworks.
– Silk products: Spiber, Bolt Threads.
– Leather products: Modern Meadow.
– Pet food: Because Animals, Wild Earth, Bond Pet Foods.
– Wood products: 3D-printed lab-grown wood.
**Challenges and Innovations in Cellular Agriculture:**
– Research tools like cell lines, growth media alternatives, scaling technologies, scaffold materials, and 3D tissue systems.
– Issues related to the bioeconomy, green growth, circular bioeconomy, technological progress, greenwashing, and monopolies.
– Innovation management, public spending, and governance.
– Academic programs and conferences in the field.
– Concerns about gene patents, biopiracy, monopolies, and government support for innovators.
**Future Prospects and Technological Advances in Cellular Agriculture:**
– Lab-grown meat, dairy, and alternatives.
– Industry impact of cultured meat on animal farming practices.
– Spider silk production using microbial cell factories.
– Photovoltaic-driven protein production for sustainable food production.
– External links and further reading resources for those interested in cellular agriculture.
