
Scientists create lab-grown chunks of chicken in 'breakthrough' that could pave way for 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."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Country diary: Komorebi is a green world within a green world
Komorebi is a Japanese noun for sunlight passing through tree leaves. It seems to mean more than the rays of light, the play of dappled shadow; more than the ephemeral quality of a green shade; it's an aesthetic experience of sunlight interacting with foliage. Today is the hottest day of a heatwave. The air is stifling. Sunlight is burning. Under a canopy of leaves, a small wing lands on the table where I'm writing this in a notebook. How did it get here? The flickering hoverflies drone before they alight on lilies and dahlias in pots. A small fountain dribbles against ferns in the rocks. There is a dense canopy of Japanese maple, plum, fatsia and clematis. Komorebi is a green world within a green world. Its direct translation suggests the sunlight 'leaks' or 'escapes' from the leaves. All these chloroplasts in leaf cells, turning light into life. For many leaves, this heat must be hotter than their optimum temperature for photosynthesis, and those in the lower layers may benefit from light escaping from above; photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide and increases transpiration (water vapour) to produce cooling. Mine and other lives are grateful for this cool sanctuary. But komorebi is not such a still, peaceful world, as evidenced by this fallen wing. It's likely that a wasp ambushed a hoverfly in the leaves overhanging the table. Starting with its head, the scimitar blades of the wasp's jaws would have dismembered the hoverfly, discarding the legs and wings with surgical precision, the wasp returning to the nest to feed the chewed-up, protein-packed hoverfly to the larvae. What they are fed may determine their sex and caste – wasp destiny shaped by the beautifully banded bodies of hoverflies. This tiny wing is all that's left of the aerial magic trick of motionlessness; it's like a flake of celluloid film containing the places, lives and times composed of this green light of leaves. More importantly, komorebi is an experience life shares, a mood not described by just what it looks like or what it does. This heatwave is a sign of the coming climate; for komorebi, we need more foliage on all ecological levels. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount


The Herald Scotland
14-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
A chance to show the world Glasgow's scientific expertise
Gravitational waves – ripples in spacetime created by accelerating masses – were predicted by Einstein in 1916. It took almost a century to observe them, a breakthrough providing a new way to study our Universe. Gravitational waves are generated by some of the Universe's most extreme phenomena, such as the mergers of black holes. The energy carried by gravitational waves is phenomenal – if you could see gravitational waves, one black hole merger would outshine all the stars in the sky combined. However, once gravitational waves travel the astronomical distance to Earth, they are almost imperceptivity small. Detecting these ripples was one of the great challenges in experimental physics. After decades of research, the twin LIGO detectors in the US (using Glasgow technology) made their first detection in September 2015. This discovery required LIGO to measure a change in length equivalent to less than the size of a single proton over their 4 km length. This first gravitational-wave signal came from the merger of two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of our Sun. This was the first observation of two black holes merging – a unique test of Einstein's theories – and the first discovery of black holes of that size – a unique insight into the remains left by massive stars. Since 2015, the pace of discovery has exploded. The LIGO detectors are currently in their fourth observing run, joined by the European Virgo and the Japanese KAGRA detectors. This run has already yielded over 200 detections. These observations will deliver a more precise understanding of gravity, astrophysics and cosmology than ever before. This week, scientists will discuss the future of gravitational-wave science and plans for new observatories. The first space-based observatory will launch in the 2030s – the LISA mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). LISA will observe more of the gravitational-wave spectrum and detect signals from the mergers of black holes millions of the times the mass of our Sun. These colossal black holes reside in the centres of all galaxies, yet astrophysicists do not know how they form. As part of GR-Amaldi, Prof. Carole Mundell, Director of Science at ESA and University of Glasgow graduate, will give a free public lecture on ESA and LISA. The GR–Amaldi conference is an opportunity to show the world Glasgow's scientific expertise. Beyond developing gravitational-wave astronomy, spin-out technologies from our research have enabled advancements ranging from monitoring volcanos to generating bone tissue for transplants. The conference also reminds us of what can be achieved through international collaboration. Technological advancements have made gravitational-wave detection an (almost) everyday event. As new connections are made between the world's researchers, we look forward to the next generation of discoveries. Dr Christopher Berry is a senior lecturer in the School of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Glasgow and a member of the University's Institute for Gravitational Research. Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@


Metro
11-07-2025
- Metro
New record for fastest internet speed can download all of Netflix in 16 seconds
Imagine if you could download the whole of Netflix in 16 seconds. Well, that dream could soon be a reality after Japanese researchers broke the internet speed record. Scientists have achieved a speed of 1.02 petabits per second – or 1,020,000 gigabits. That is 4,600,000 times faster than the UK's average internet speed of 223 megabits per second. They were able to reach this speed over a distance of 1,808 kilometres – breaking the world record set in October 2021. The team at Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) reached the speeds using a new 19-core fiber cable. Their cable is so efficient it squeezes 19 separate light paths into the space typically used for one. The breakthrough offers a glimpse into the future of internet connectivity and super high download speeds. What it can achieve is staggering. You could stream 10 million ultra-HD 8K videos at the same time. The entirety of Wikipedia could be downloaded in one second. Now that will quench anyone's thirst for knowledge. More Trending In the future, these new internet speeds will make it possible to instantly stream huge AI models, and even stream VR and holographic videos. But those looking to make some big downloads will have to be patient – it won't be implementable overnight. More research is needed to make the technology suitable for me and you to use on a daily basis. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Japanese food is about more than trends — big brands are getting it wrong MORE: Manga prophet eerily predicts 'great disaster' before earthquakes rock Japan MORE: Japan Airlines Boeing 737 flight plummets 26,000 ft before emergency landing