Researchers at the University of Tokyo have achieved a significant milestone in cultured meat technology by producing what is believed to be the largest lab-grown chicken nugget to date.
It weighs approximately 11 grams (about a third of an ounce) and measures 7 centimeters long and 2 centimeters thick.
This nugget-sized piece of chicken muscle, developed using an innovative bioreactor with an artificial circulatory system, marks a breakthrough in growing larger, more complex lab-grown meat.
The team, led by Professor Shoji Takeuchi, utilized a Hollow Fiber Bioreactor that mimics the circulatory system of a living animal.
The bioreactor incorporates 50 hollow fibers, acting as artificial veins, to deliver nutrients and oxygen to the growing chicken fibroblast cells, which form the connective tissue of the meat.
This system overcomes a key challenge in lab-grown meat production: ensuring that inner cells receive sufficient nutrients and oxygen to grow thicker tissues, a limitation that has historically restricted the size of cultivated meat.
To create the nugget, the researchers started by collecting chicken fibroblast cells.
These cells were cultured in an artificial environment within the bioreactor, where the hollow fibers facilitated the growth process by guiding cell development in specific directions.
The resulting meat, while not yet made with food-grade materials and thus not ready for consumption, represents a significant step toward scalable, ethical meat production.
Takeuchi highlighted the versatility of the hollow fibers, noting, “These fibers are already commonly used in household water filters and dialysis machines for patients with kidney disease.
It’s exciting to discover that these tiny fibers can also effectively help create artificial tissues and, possibly, whole organs in the future.”
However, the current process requires manual removal of the hollow fibers after the meat is grown, and future iterations may incorporate artificial blood or oxygen carriers to support larger tissue growth.
The environmental and ethical implications of this development are significant.
Experts from the University of Tokyo suggest that lab-grown meat could be more environmentally friendly than traditional livestock farming, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption.
Additionally, this technology offers an ethical alternative by eliminating the need to raise and slaughter animals.
While the lab-grown nugget is not yet available for purchase, the researchers are collaborating with companies to advance the technology.
Mark Post, chief science officer at Mosa Meat and a pioneer in lab-grown meat, described the work as “an extraordinary engineering achievement.”
The team estimates that lab-grown chicken nuggets could reach supermarket shelves within five to ten years, potentially transforming the way meat is produced and consumed.
This breakthrough has sparked varied reactions online. Some express enthusiasm for the potential to eat meat without harming animals, with one X user stating, “I like the idea of eating chicken meat without killing chickens.”
Others are skeptical, with comments like, “Would not feed this to my dogs.” Despite mixed sentiments, the development underscores the growing momentum behind cultured meat as a sustainable and humane alternative to conventional meat production.