Today’s Solutions: November 14, 2026

Although plant-based meat startups, such as Impossible Foods, have been in the limelight lately, there are still startups that are working on ethical meat grown from animal cells, giving you a real burger without the cruelty and climate change issues. But, while it’s great to see a number of companies trying to replace burgers with greener options, there’s been little word about replacements for the hundreds of other meat products—such as steaks.

Plant-based steak seems like a bit of a stretch, but what about lab-grown steak? Thus far, an ethical meat startup hasn’t been able to do this because of the lack of collagen in real muscle tissue, meaning that any attempt at making steaks comes out mushy. That could soon change, however, after Harvard University researchers found a way to simulate real meat by growing cow and rabbit muscle cells on a scaffold made out of gelatin (yum).

In the body, cells don’t just sit there in a pile. They get physical support from water, collagen proteins, and nutrients, which help the cells grown and align. So, in order to grow muscle tissues that resembled meat, the researchers needed to find a ‘scaffold’ material that was edible and allowed muscle cells to attach and grow in 3D.

To create such a scaffold, the team elected to use gelatin, which is made from the collagen extracted from the skin, bones, and connective tissue of domesticated animals. It’s not only edible but closely mimics the way collagen adds a succulent texture to meat when it’s cooked. The results are promising, but as with lab-grown burgers, you’re not likely to see alt-steaks on your plate anytime soon.

Scientists and bio-engineers still need to figure out how to grow them at scale in bioreactor facilities to keep up with the expected demand. The first lab-grown meat famously produced a $325,000 hamburger, and the company that created that one said it aims to create $10, production-scale burgers by 2021. Steaks are likely to be even farther off, given the technical and regulatory challenges to come.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

AI allows rapid identification of disorders and syndromes by scanning childre...

A massive leap in medical technology has ushered in a new era in the diagnosis of developmental diseases and syndromes. Researchers at Radboud University ...

Read More

7 states secure abortion rights as voters push back against restrictive measures

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM As abortion rights remain a hotly debated issue in the United States, voters in ten states recently had ...

Read More

How pollinator pathways are turning city alleys into thriving insect havens

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On a warm afternoon in Bristol, an alleyway once known for litter and neglect is now humming with ...

Read More

Data centers explained: the hidden infrastructure behind your daily digital life

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every time you stream something, pay a bill, or ask an AI a question, a server somewhere is ...

Read More