Scientists have grown a piece of chicken meat in a laboratory using a bioreactor.

Japanese scientists have developed a new technology for growing structured chicken meat in a laboratory. They use a bioreactor with miniature hollow fibers that mimic the function of blood vessels. This helps to provide tissues with a sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients. Using this technology, they managed to grow a piece of chicken meat weighing over 10 grams.

A barrier to creating artificial tissues was the limitation of their size to a thickness of less than 1 mm. However, the team of scientists was able to overcome this obstacle by creating a system of 1125 hollow fibers through which a fluid similar to blood circulates. This allowed for the delivery of nutrients to artificial tissues.

The fibers used in the bioreactor are already employed in water filters and dialysis machines. Scientists noticed that they are ideal for delivering nutrients to artificial tissues. The developed bioreactor helped to evenly distribute and organize cells into a structure similar to real muscle tissue. This opens up prospects for creating artificial meat with taste and texture, as well as for regenerative medicine, the development of artificial organs, and robotics.

Previously, scientists from the United Kingdom grew human teeth in the laboratory.