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Meaty Mold | Throat Printing | Operation Oink

Meaty Mold | Throat Printing | Operation Oink

Issue #146

Steve Burgess
March 30, 2024

During a flight on Monday, I witnessed a sunset rocket launch! (pictured below)

I always prefer the window-seat to watch clouds, sunsets, and various topography. After seeing 23 satellites lifted to orbit I can’t imagine sitting anywhere else!

-Steve

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photo by me! (Steve Burgess)

Meaty Mold

Mold, coming to a menu near you. Gene edited Aspergillus oryzae (koji mold) make it more appetizing and nutritious.

CRISPR-Cas9 used to edit for meat-like properties
Key edit: increased heme production
Heme = iron-based molecule abundant in animal tissue

Heme-enhanced fungi can be shaped into burger patties that rival meat alternatives and possibly even beef itself. Researchers are currently working with Michelin-starred chefs to improve texture and nutrition. They say the taste really grows on you.

Got heme?

Quick! (vote)

Would you eat a mold-burger?

Check out last week’s results in “Unnatural Selection” below

Throat Printing

3D-printers created a breath of fresh air. A patient received the world’s first printed windpipe after losing part of theirs to thyroid cancer surgery.

Created using nasal stem cells, cartilage cells, and bio-ink
Biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) added for support
As PCL degrades, natural trachea will regenerate

The windpipe took only two weeks to print and did not require any immunosuppressants. A potential revolution in treating patients with related conditions like congenital anomalies or windpipe trauma. Just don’t try printing one at home.

How to print body parts

Operation Oink

Pigs are one step closer to adding “organ donor ❤️” to their IDs. Mass General Hospital surgeons transplanted the first gene-edited pig kidney into a human patient via xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation = when a human receives nonhuman cells/tissues/organs
62-year-old patient was suffering from end-stage kidney disease
69 nice genomic edits needed for a compatible pigney

Like the tasty mold mentioned above, this pig kidney was edited using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Further patient monitoring will help us understand how similar xenotransplantations could address our global organ shortage.

Paging Dr. Oink