Overview

• Scientists at the University of Tokyo successfully grew an 11-gram, nugget-sized piece of lab-grown chicken using a perfusable hollow fiber bioreactor.
• The bioreactor mimics blood vessels, delivering nutrients and oxygen to muscle cells, enabling thicker, structured meat growth compared to earlier methods.
• The cultured chicken has not yet been produced with food-grade materials and has not undergone taste testing, highlighting ongoing hurdles for commercialization.
• Researchers are addressing challenges such as oxygen delivery in larger tissues, automating fiber removal, and transitioning to edible or food-safe materials.
• The technology shows promise for applications beyond food, including regenerative medicine, drug testing, and soft robotics, with further research underway.