'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAEDBQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABRESIQYTQQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMRAQEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAEEDEiH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMReKWaPdZcVkktRnkO+xoZJ7wFKieFPyoy4sxYNwlxQ2pYYfcb23xnRRGaUoxVPJYrrKWHSPDef/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Australian food company Vow is going viral after it introduced meatballs grown in the lab using DNA from an extinct woolly mammoth. The news was first announced by the company on Tuesday, March 28, at a joint press conference with Wunderman Thompson.
According to Vow founder Tim Noakesmith, who hopes that one day we can phase out the industrial production of meat:
"We chose the woolly mammoth because it’s a symbol of diversity loss and a symbol of climate change."
To create the meatball, the Australian company used samples from the preserved DNA of a woolly mammoth that has been extinct for over 10,000 years. They then reportedly filled in the missing fragments in the polymer from its closest living relative, the African Elephant, to create a cell culture.
This cell culture was placed in a "bioreactor" to allow the cells to "grow and multiply just like they would in an animal."
After a few weeks, scientists had regrown enough cells to create the meat. The resulting meatball looked exactly like a traditional one.
As the news went viral, internet users were left shocked, with many sharing their skepticism online. Some even joked about the repercussions of consuming the meatball.
Internet users react to "forbidden" woolly mammoth meatball
Netizens were quick to share their comments on the lab-grown woolly mammoth meatball. They used hilarious memes and sarcastic quips to share their skepticism.
Some remarked that the scientists should try it first.:
Others were ready to give it a chance. User @vphotography06 called it "Schroedingers meatball," stating:
Here are some other reactions:
The woolly mammoth meatball is not safe for consumption yet
According to a report by The Guardian, Vow is taking a unique approach and diverting from regular meat by investing in cultured ones. They have reportedly experimented with more than 50 species, including alpacas, peacocks, and fish.
The Vow website also adds that the company is constantly on the lookout for unique cell combinations to create "new products and better eating experiences."
The one-of-a-kind lab-grown woolly mammoth meatball, however, is not safe for human consumption as of now, given that it is yet to undergo health and safety tests. Ernst Wolvetang of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland, who collaborated with Noakesmith, stated:
"We haven’t seen this protein for thousands of years. So we have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it."
According to the Guardian, Vow aims to sell another one of its innovations - the Japanese quail - in Japanese markets this year.
