While we often think of farming in traditional terms, the authors explain that fundamental changes to how we produce food and materials are now unavoidable.
The researchers point out that feeding a growing global population while reducing the environmental damage caused by conventional agriculture is a massive challenge. According to the study, cellular agriculture—the biotechnological manufacturing of products—is beginning to emerge as a powerful solution.
The authors highlight cultured meat as a promising technology for creating animal-based proteins, though they note that it still requires further development to reach its full potential. They also suggest that using plant cells directly as food is a very attractive alternative for obtaining healthy, protein-rich, and nutritionally balanced raw materials.
Furthermore, the researchers explain that cultured microbes can be processed into a wide range of biosynthetic materials. Ultimately, the authors conclude that gaining better control over the structural properties of these products will be increasingly important for the success of all cultured cell applications in the future.
Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2019.12.003
Reference:
Rischer, H., Szilvay, G. R., & Oksman-Caldentey, K.-M. (2020). Cellular agriculture—Industrial biotechnology for food and materials. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 61, 128–134.