Seems like a real risk for the introduction of prion diseases.
But you could knock out the prion protein gene in the cell lines you use for meat production. It’s not needed for cell survival as far as I know.
In lab grown meat there is less risk of prions than in natural meat. Prions occur naturally and accumulate in the body, specifically the brain, because we have no way to get rid of them. In lab grown meat, the risk of acquiring prions through the animal’s diet is eliminated and the risk of the animal acquiring prions itself during its lifespan is reduced, assuming the meat is grown over a shorter period of time. This is true regardless of what kind of animal the meat duplicates.
Seems like a real risk for the introduction of prion diseases.
But you could knock out the prion protein gene in the cell lines you use for meat production. It’s not needed for cell survival as far as I know.
In lab grown meat there is less risk of prions than in natural meat. Prions occur naturally and accumulate in the body, specifically the brain, because we have no way to get rid of them. In lab grown meat, the risk of acquiring prions through the animal’s diet is eliminated and the risk of the animal acquiring prions itself during its lifespan is reduced, assuming the meat is grown over a shorter period of time. This is true regardless of what kind of animal the meat duplicates.