STEM CELL TECHNOLOGY

 Stem cells are progenitor cells that are capable of self-renewal and
differentiation into many different cell lineages
 Stem cells have potential for treatment of many malignant and non-
malignant diseases
 Peripheral blood stem cells are used routinely in autologous and
allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
 Gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells may allow treatment of
genetic or acquired diseases
 Embryonic stem cells may eventually be grown in vitro to produce
complex organs

 Neuronal stem cells are being used for neuron replacement in

neurovegetative disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntingdon's
Asdiseases.
an important biological technology, stem cell technology has been being widely used in the life
sciences for a long time. There are three major ways to obtain stem cells with unlimited proliferation
and differentiation capabilities, including 1) isolating embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from embryos, 2)
isolating adult stem cells from adult tissues, and 3) in vitro reprogramming of differentiated somatic
cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In the field of agriculture, the efficient purification,
culture and establishment of livestock and poultry stem cell lines are expected to significantly improve
the efficiency of somatic cell cloning and genetic modification of cells. The technology of stem cell
induced-gamete production will greatly simplify the generation process, and consequently improve
the generation efficiency of genetically modified animals. In addition, by combining with gene editing,
microinjection, stem cell transplantation, and embryo transfer, stem cell technology has great potential
in the production of genetically modified animals, tissue and organ donors, in vitro induced gametes
and genetically reconstructed embryos, in the screening of disease treatment targets, and in the
research of new drug pharmacology, which is of great significance to the genetic improvement,
disease prevention and treatment for agricultural animals.
Stem cells because of their extensive properties have got tremendous applications in both livestock
production and therapeutics. Stem cells are considered to be the most promising factor for cell-based
therapies. In the field of veterinary science, stem cells are mainly used for the treatment in canine and
equines. However, the high expense in treatment restricts the use of stem cell therapy. Cost of stem cell
therapy will be hopefully reduced, when extent of stem cell production is largely increased. Clinical use
of stem cells requires various researches for standardization of desired treatment protocols, routes of
administration and dosage. Stem cells can be also used to treat various chronic and irrecoverable
conditions.

CELLULAR AGRICULTURE (BBC VERIFIED)

CASE STUDY

Gandhi and his fellow bioengineer Ryan Pandya, who are the co-founders of a start-up
called Perfect Day, equip fungi with gene sequences used by cows to produce certain
milk proteins, such as whey protein. Rather than taking DNA from a cow, they use
already-decoded genes for the milk proteins, and insert those genes into fungi. In
a fermentation process, the fungi then produce the proteins. The resulting product can
be used to create a liquid with similar properties to animal milk, or to make animal-free
ice creams or cream cheeses.  

It is one of a growing number of attempts to find alternative ways of producing food

without using animals – known as cellular agriculture. The idea is to produce meat, milk
or other animal products without needing to rear, slaughter and butcher livestock.
Growing food this way could be kinder to the planet, too.

Livestock alone makes up around 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The
food industry as a whole accounts for a third of our carbon emissions. Putting food
into the mouths of billions of people every day is a monumental task and one that is
likely to get even greater as human populations increase. From deforestation to
transport, waste management to food storage, each step of the food chain brings with it
a high carbon footprint.

CASE STUDY 2

TurtleTree Labs in Singapore, for example, is the first company in the world to use
STEM CELLS from mammals to make milk, by encouraging the cells to produce milk in
huge bioreactors. By reducing the need for dairy cows, it is hoped such solutions might
also reduce the amount of methane – a potent greenhouse gas which traps up to 25
times more heat than CO2 during its first 100 years in the atmosphere – produced by
the millions of cows worldwide as they digest their food. The company also says it
could cut down on transport costs and emissions as the bioreactors could potentially be
placed closer to where the milk is sold rather than on farms.
CASE STUDY 3

Similar technologies are also being used to create meat in the laboratory, by growing it
from animal cells. In 2013, scientist Mark Post unveiled the world's first lab-grown beef
burger, formed from small bundles of muscle fibres made by culturing cells taken from a
cow. He called his creation a "very good start", and, true to his word, his company Mosa
Meat can now create 80,000 burgers just from a sample of cells the size of a sesame
seed. There are now a growing number of attempts to grow cellular meat from
different animals, including lamb, pork, fish and chicken – which was last year
approved for sale in Singapore.

FACT SHEET

An estimated 17% of food grown around the world in 2019 was wasted at various
points in the food chain, amounting to 931 million tonnes. At least 61% came from
households, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, while the rest
occurring during harvesting, transport, processing and retail. Not only does this mean
the carbon released while producing the food is also essentially wasted, but as the food
rots, it releases more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In the UK alone, food
waste in 2018 was responsible for around 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL STEM CELL AND THEIR USES

Today, Selvaraj is working to preserve the genetic diversity of fast-disappearing native cattle
breeds via gene banking, and his lab has made a breakthrough that will enable long-term
storage and reproduction of cattle stem cells – cells that could be used in the future to clone
breeds that have gone extinct, or that have been so heavily crossed with other breeds that
they’ve lost their strongest traits.

Using stem cells, you can preserve the full genome and then regenerate the animal at any
future point in time,” Selvaraj said. “Stem cells undergo self-renewal and are immortal, so you
can use some and refreeze them. This provides an inexhaustible store that you can use into the
future.

This research was supported by Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.