Extinct Cuisine: Australian Company Makes Meatballs from Mammoth DNA

John Lopez, Tech Times 28 March 2023, 09:03 am

Are animals from the past the future food? A company in Australia has taken the idea of cultured meat to the next level by using the DNA of a mammoth to create meatballs, this IFLScience report tells us.

Vow, the company behind this innovation, hopes it will spark conversations about alternative meat sources, leading people to prefer these sustainable options over traditional meats.

Mammoth Meat: From Excavation to the Kitchen

The mammoth went extinct approximately 10,000 years ago. These massive beasts have been found in excavation sites throughout North America and the Siberian permafrost.

The Smithsonian Magazine tells us that one of the most well-preserved specimens found to date is a 30,000-year-old baby mammoth found in a goldmine in the Yukon territory of Canada.

But how did the Australian company make the mammoth meatballs?

The procedure is a bit unusual for meatballs, but it goes as follows: Scientists used the DNA sequence found in the muscle of a mammoth to create meatballs. But, because the sequence was incomplete, they filled in the missing parts with a similar code found in elephants. Then, they grew the meatballs inside baby sheep cells. The company that made these meatballs says they can keep making more and more using this process, which only takes a few weeks.

The team behind Vow initially considered creating dodo (an extinct flightless bird) nuggets, but they pivoted to mammoth meat because there is more information available about mammoths. They even discussed the possibility of creating collagen-based supplements using the collagen sequence of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Why Mammoth Meatballs?

In an interview with The Guardian, people behind the company explained that Vow chose mammoth DNA for its first cultured meat product since it represents diversity loss and climate change.

The company further explained that the process could work for any animal where a biopsy from the target animal, about the size of an almond, is available. Regrettably, the company cannot manufacture dodo meat since there is not enough genetic information accessible.

The Company's Goal

The company's ambitious mission is to revolutionize the meat industry by creating cultured meat that can surpass the quality and taste of conventionally farmed meat and ultimately replace it altogether. As a first step towards achieving this, Vow targets high-end restaurants where food enthusiasts crave unique and exquisite culinary experiences and are willing to pay a premium.

Interestingly, Vow's team is not stopping at replicating common meat varieties; they are exploring the possibility of producing exotic meats such as zebra, yak, and even Galapagos tortoises! With its cutting-edge technology and bold vision, Vow is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sustainable and ethical meat production.

Mammoths Are Coming Back

Meatballs or the heavy beasts themselves, mammoths are set for a return. Tech Times reported earlier this month that Colossal, a Texas-based synthetic biology company, plans to revive the woolly mammoth from extinction by 2028.

According to the company, it will use cutting-edge genetic engineering methods, such as CRISPR, to develop a cold-resistant elephant with all the biological traits of the Woolly Mammoth.

On their website, Colossal promises the woolly mammoth will walk, look, and sound like a woolly mammoth, and it will be able to occupy the same frigid habitat it had in the past.

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