Scientists at Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA, developed immortalized bovine muscle stem cells called iBSCs. These cells can grow rapidly and divide for many generations, potentially endless, enabling the production of meat without sourcing it from live animals.
Before cellular livestock can scale to feed millions, multiple technical challenges must be solved. The process requires culturing muscle cells from various sources such as chickens, fish, and cows to reach production in the millions of metric tons annually.
Findings from Tufts Universitys Center for Cellular Agriculture, published in ACS Synthetic Biology, aim to widen access to this technology for researchers and companies around the world. The goal is to reduce reliance on repeated farm animal biopsies while advancing product development in cell agriculture.
Cell cultured meat production demands very large quantities of muscle and fat cells that can grow and divide efficiently. While cell grown meat has received FDA consideration for chicken products and even experimental plots with unusual genetic bases, the cost remains high and the supply limited.
Preserve long chromosome ends
Standard muscle stem cells from living animals typically divide only about 50 times before aging renders them nonviable. Immortalized cells created by the TUCCA team offer several advantages. The foremost is the potential to generate far more meat mass for production.
Another benefit is that making immortalized cells broadly available lowers the entry barrier for researchers exploring cell agriculture, which could help reduce costs and boost output.
Researchers noted that historically scientists had to isolate animal stem cells themselves, a costly and time consuming task, or rely on model cell lines from less related species such as mouse muscle cells. By employing these new permanent bovine cell lines, the core objective becomes more accessible.
Two pivotal steps transformed ordinary bovine muscle stem cells into immortalized bovine muscle stem cells. As cells divide and age, they lose DNA at chromosome ends called telomeres, which can lead to copying errors, gene loss, and ultimately cell death. The TUCCA team engineered bovine stem cells so telomeres are continually rebuilt, keeping the chromosomes youthful and ready for fresh rounds of replication.
Immortalize cells
The second step involved engineering the cells to constantly produce a protein that drives a critical stage of cell division. This speeds up growth and enhances overall production pace.
Muscle stem cells are not the final edible product on their own. They must differentiate into mature muscle cells that resemble those found in meat. The TUCCA team demonstrated that the new stem cells can differentiate into mature muscle cells, though not identical to cells from conventional animal muscle tissue. The goal remains to closely mimic the texture and mouthfeel of real meat.
Experts note that these cells can mature sufficiently to resemble the flavor and texture of natural meat. Additional work is needed to perfect maturity and flavor balance, as the cells tend to multiply quickly and may require time to reach their final edible form, according to project lead Andrew Stout and his colleagues. The broader vision is to have these cells behave like traditional meat while offering predictable nutritional benefits.
David Kaplan, a biomedical engineering leader at Tufts and director of the TUCCA program, described the research as a meaningful step toward a future where meat could be produced without raising and slaughtering animals. He cautioned that it will take further studies to confirm taste and nutrition match and to ensure scalable, safe production practices.
Reference work: ACS Synthetic Biology findings from the Tufts Center for Cellular Agriculture.
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Note on sources: The discussion reflects summaries of ongoing work in cellular agriculture, with formal results published in peer reviewed journals and presented in university communications. These materials illustrate the trajectory of laboratory advances toward scalable cell based meat production and do not imply commercial availability at this time.
End of document notes: The content summarizes research directions and does not include contact details or publication dates within the text. Citations appear within the narrative to acknowledge the scholarly context and institutional contributors.