The core conflict around lab-grown meat is not scientific but economic and psychological, with both ranchers and vegans opposing it. Activists aim to eliminate or severely regulate such products, often regardless of the scientific method used, as seen in the pushback against all forms of genetic modification while paradoxically supporting the less precise method of Mutagenesis. However, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have achieved a significant breakthrough by spontaneously immortalizing bovine cells without genetic engineering, overcoming the natural process of senescence (cell aging) after 240 cell generations by activating mechanisms like telomerase. Despite this scientific advance removing a major “science-based” objection, the article suggests that activists and politically-aligned groups will continue to oppose the technology, driven by non-scientific political agendas and historical precedents, which will make regulatory approval and market acceptance in the United States and Europe difficult, ultimately impacting the affordability of meat for consumers.
Source: The Immortal Life Of Beef Cells