Engineered Plants Grow Meat Protein: Lettuce and Tobacco Make Myoglobin

Researchers at Imperial College London used a gene gun to insert pig myoglobin genes into the chloroplasts of lettuce and tobacco, achieving stable myoglobin production that passes to offspring. Yields are about 810 mg/kg dry weight in lettuce and 800 mg/kg in tobacco, lower than animal meat but potentially more resource-efficient with lower water use and emissions. This is a proof-of-principle approach; further work is needed to boost yields and fix heme incorporation before plant-based meat applications.