They created a steak from the world’s most expensive meat on a 3D printer

Scientists at Osaka University used stem cells isolated from Wagyu cows to 3D print a meat alternative that contains muscle, fat, and blood vessels arranged to closely resemble conventional steaks.

This work can help usher in a more sustainable future with widely available farmed meat. Wagyu can be literally translated as “Japanese cow” and is famous around the world for its high content of intramuscular fat, known as mottling or sashi. This marbling gives the meat its rich flavors and distinctive texture, making it the most expensive in the world.

However, the way cattle are raised today is often viewed as unsustainable in light of their huge contribution to climate emissions. Currently, the available “cultured meat” alternatives are mostly made up of poorly organized muscle fiber cells that fail to replicate the complex structure of real beef steaks.

But with the advancements made by scientists at Osaka University, this could be a thing of the past.

“Using the histological structure of Wagyu meat as a model, we have developed a 3D printing method that can produce complex custom structures such as muscle fibers, fat, and blood vessels.” says lead author Dong-Hee Kang.

To overcome this challenge, the team started with two types of stem cells, called bovine satellite cells and fat tissue-derived stem cells. Under the right laboratory conditions, these “multipotent” cells can be persuaded to differentiate into each type of cell needed to produce cultured meat.

Individual fibers, including muscle, fat, or blood vessels, have been made from these cells by bioprinting. Then IThe fibers were arranged in 3D, following the histological structure, to replicate the structure of real Wagyu meat, which was eventually cut perpendicularly, similar to the traditional Japanese candy Kintaro-ame.

This process made it possible to reconstruct the complex structure of meat tissue in a customizable way.

“By improving this technology, it will not only be possible to reproduce complex meat structures, like the magnificent Wagyu beef sachid, but also to make subtle adjustments to fat and muscle components.”says lead author Michiya Matsusaki. That is, customers could order cultured meat with the desired amount of fat, based on taste and health considerations.

It looks like the future may be sustainable and delicious at the same time, at least for meat lovers.

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