They are making advances in cell biology and protein synthesis to solve the global challenge of obtaining better, cheaper proteins from fewer animals.
They are making advances in cell biology and protein synthesis to solve the global challenge of obtaining better, cheaper proteins from fewer animals.
“In 12 months, it will be possible to create a lab-grown meat burger,” said Sandeep Sharma, a scientist who spent more than two decades at India’s leading vaccine companies and is now CEO and co-founder of Neat Meat.
It is among a handful of Indian companies that are making advances in cell biology and protein synthesis to solve a global challenge: how to ensure that the world’s growing population gets better, cheaper protein from fewer animals and less Get cultivable land.
For example, some companies have bet on modifying plant products such as soy and processing it to such an extent that its texture feels like meat and others, such as Neat Meat, are trying to obtain cells from such species. Trying out those that can be incorporated into meat. Unlike such plant-based meats, neat meats are intended to be lab-grown or so-called ‘farmed meat’.
Three types of cell-lines are important for regenerating meat: fibroblasts – cells that make connective tissue and collagen – myoblasts, which form muscle and adipocytes, which make adipose tissue. “The big challenge is to bring all of these together,” said Mr. Sharma, whose team is developing them at centers located at the University of Delhi, South Campus and the ICAR-National Research Center for Meet.
a big challenge
A cell-line is a group of cells derived from an animal that can be used to regenerate many of its kind indefinitely. However, obtaining a perfect stock is often a challenge, which has led some companies to focus on relatively simple life forms such as shrimp and shrimp, which have an easy to create texture and flavor.
Nitin Shetty of Pune-based Clevermeat faced challenges in obtaining live shrimp in Pune, requiring cells to build the cell line. “We’ve finally managed to get this kind of shrimp and cell line in the process. Once we’ve got that done – and it’s potentially a huge market in itself – we’re looking at moving on to fish. can such as Rohu And katla,” They told Hindu,
The summit was organized here by the Good Food Institute (GFI, India), a non-profit organization working with start-ups, research bodies and government bodies to promote ‘smart proteins’ or such foods. Works that are high on protein but require less land and do not rely on water and killing animals and marine life. These can include coarse grains, such as millet, or algae and – at the extreme – lab-grown meat. GFI (India) Managing Director Varun Deshpande said the export market for such meat outside India was expected to be ₹1,300 crore-4,100 crore and 15,000-50,000 jobs could be created by 2030 if policy conditions were in place. So far, the total investment capital in farmed meat around the world is about $1.3 billion, the organization said.
Non-vegetarian meat was targeted, and those who want to continue to experience the taste and texture of meat but want their meat to be ‘cruelty free’ and in line with the challenges posed by climate change, Mr. Shetty. “A kilogram of shrimp in India can cost over ₹1000 and while farmed meat will now be slightly more expensive, it will eventually be comparable or cheaper,” he said.
milk substitute
Although vegetarians are concerned about the carbon footprint and methane emissions from cattle, milk substitutes for one of India’s most consumed foods. Bharat Bakarju, CEO of Bangalore-based biotechnology startup Phyx44, is recreating a cow’s milk-producing genes. “If soy-based milk is on one end and real milk is on the other, we’re somewhere in between,” he said of his progress. Cultured meat requires the infrastructure that is needed to make vaccines – such as bioreactors that can multiply the cells needed to meet demand – and scaffolds that are organic molds in which cells can be incubated. and can be grown to achieve a desired structure, say chicken tikka or shrimp cocktail. There are already companies in India that are not planning to make such meat directly, but make intermediary equipment to make these products.
These startups hope to grow internationally to impact India. In December 2020, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) hired Eat Just, Inc. to sell its farmed chicken nuggets. World’s first regulatory approval for farmed meat. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration have announced plans to implement a joint regulatory framework.