The number of people desiring sustainable food options is on the rise, and meat grown in the laboratory rather than on the farm is gaining attention. Cultured meat is made from stem cells called satellite cells that differentiate into mature skeletal muscle. While the promise of cultured meat may be changing how people think about eating animals, the recipe for growing skeletal muscle needs updating.
In a recent study published in Nature Food, Joshua Flack, cell biology team lead at the Mosa Meat cultured meat company, described a new cell culture medium for differentiating cow satellite cells into skeletal muscle.1 Their goal was to cut fetal bovine serum (FBS) out of the recipe. FBS is an additive in most culture media that provides optimal conditions for cell growth through a mixture of nourishing molecules. But FBS derives from bovine fetal blood. Because of its animal origins, many researchers have sought ...
