#Culturedbeef

#culturedbeef has been trending on my timeline and I could not help but blog about it. So what is all the excitement about? Well, If you missed it a Dutch scientist (tissue engineer to be specific) by name of Mark Post has produced meat in the lab and here’s how.

Image from nature

This is not the first time scientist have grown something out of nothing (to use the term loosely) but only this time #culturedbeef had its own special air time where the public could witness a burger being made from #culturedbeef. A pretty dear media spectacle but let’s not get moral about how Sergy Brin wishes to spend his billions because I for one enjoyed watching the Monday episode of Saturday kitchen. I did however wonder if the pair were neighbours or perhaps belonged to the same golf club. (Random thoughts).

Here’s a recap of the verdict.

Am I excited by it, ofcourse! This is yet again another scientific advancement which could be applied to several other processes. But is there any point to this? Considering the cost of production is much higher than rearing cattle that is enough reason to mark it down as low priority and perhaps try growing limbs instead. And if you want to argue the risk of disease wiping out a whole herd of cattle then you have no idea what a contaminated culture batch cost. 

As Mark Post rightly said his intention was to prove it could be done and not to create a cultured meat aisle in our supermarkets.

So the next time you 'google' Mark Post he’ll be known for trending with his #culturedbeef. 

Would I buy it if a pound sold for a penny, NO CHANCE!

1.  View conversation
2. 1. James Logan ‏@Dr_JamesLogan5 Aug

      Burgers made in a lab: would you eat it? What do you think about the concept??

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   2. hephziangela ‏@hanat_akordor5 Aug

      @Dr_JamesLogan no chance. Artificial meat!!!!!!! That's just wrong.

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   3. James Logan ‏@Dr_JamesLogan5 Aug

      Why? Genuinely interested to know RT “@hanat_akordor: @Dr_JamesLogan no chance. Artificial meat!!!!!!! That's just wrong.”

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   4. hephziangela ‏@hanat_akordor5 Aug

      @Dr_JamesLogan wldnt eat my diner in d lab, never mind meat. Surely itl be cultured aseptically? Lets say I'm a butcher so I dnt eat meat.

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      1:40 PM - 5 Aug 13 · Details
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3. hephziangela ‏@hanat_akordor5 Aug

   Fat free burger - isn't that suppose to be a good thing? Not if its grown in the lab. #culturedbeef

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4. hephziangela ‏@hanat_akordor5 Aug

   Close to meat but not that juicy. #culturedbeef

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Jumping through hoops with a light flash

Whoever thought the time would come when the mind could be controlled with the flick of a light switch. Pretty cool huh! And I’m not talking about hypnotherapy.  Think “opto” and think “light”, think “genetics” and think “DNA”. Put them together and you give birth to the concept of “optogenetics”.

Optogenetics is the exciting new area of research where specific brain cells (neurons) can be manipulated to respond to light thereby linking the cell function to a light flash.

Imagine the concept of a football game on a console. Push a button on the controller and a player passes the ball. Push another button and it’s a shot. Such is the concept of optogenetics. Flash a blue light and the neuron responsible for signalling movement kicks the ball flash a yellow light and the neuron is activated to trigger a throw.

The brain is a complex network of cells known as neurons with each neuron having a unique role. The role of each of these trillions of neurons is yet to be deciphered. Put these neurons together and we have the ability to multi task; - Coordinate movement, listen and speak, read and write, sing and dance. The processing of this information in the brain occurs as a result of electrical impulses that travel between neurons. Like a 4 x 4 relay race, one neuron ignites the baton from the start line, passes on the baton to the next athlete and the last neuron finishes the race. If a member of the team drops the baton along the way, the race is lost. Each neuron has its own genetic composition and it is the genes that tell the neuron how to function via gene regulators. These gene regulators switch themselves on or off to control the neuron.  In the same way scientist can influence these regulators such that the ability to switch a neuron on or off is controlled externally, in this case the trigger is via a light flash. 

With optogenetics, a light sensitive protein known as channelrhodopsin which is originally found in unicellular green algae and responds to blue light by moving towards it, is engineered and injected into a chosen neuron. When blue light is then shone on neurons, the cell containing the channelrhodopsin is activated and it sends signals to other neurons in its team to perform a designated function. Light pulses are sent within milli - seconds of each other thereby allowing scientists to monitor the sequence of events with precision. This way when the baton is dropped along the way it is easy to pinpoint the culprit.

Opsins is the umbrella term describing light sensitive proteins. Others include halorhodopsin which is sensitive to yellow light.     

So of what benefit is this to mankind. If we can understand how each of these neurons controls brain function and we are able to identify and isolate the neuron responsible for a specific brain disease be it Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Cerebral palsy and so on, that one defective gene can be corrected to perform its original function. Basically assuming loss of speech is caused by the breakdown of gene X in the brain, Channel rhodopsin can by inserted into the neuron containing gene X and when this gene shuts down blue light pulses can be sent to reactivate its speech function thereby bringing back ones speech.

Other methods exploring this concept of manipulating neurons include therapeutic gene manipulation and gene therapy.