Plant-Animal Hybrid Cells Create Solar-Powered Tissues, Organs, Or Meat

Hybrid Plant-Animal Cells Developed in Japan

Scientists in Japan have developed hybrid plant-animal cells, allowing animal cells to harness energy from sunlight like plants. This innovation could bring significant benefits for growing organs and tissues for transplant, as well as lab-grown meat.

Animal and plant cells have different structures for energy production. In animals, this function is performed by mitochondria, which convert chemical energy from food into a form usable by our cells. Meanwhile, plants and algae utilize chloroplasts, which perform photosynthesis to generate energy from sunlight.

Successful Insertion of Chloroplasts into Animal Cells

In a new study led by the University of Tokyo, the team inserted chloroplasts into animal cells and discovered that these cells continued to perform photosynthetic functions for at least two days. The chloroplasts were sourced from red algae, while the animal cells were cultured from hamsters.

Previous research had successfully transplanted chloroplasts into yeast, granting them the ability to perform photosynthesis. However, achieving this in animals is a significant advancement.

The team essentially cultivated hamster cells and isolated the chloroplasts together for two days, then checked that the animal cells had absorbed the chloroplasts by looking for signs of chlorophyll. This compound plays a key role in chloroplasts but should not normally be present in animal cells, making its presence a good indicator that the method was successful. Conveniently, chlorophyll naturally fluoresces under certain wavelengths of light.

Detection of Photosynthesis Using Laser Illumination

When the team illuminated the cells with a specific type of laser, they quickly saw chlorophyll — and by extension, chloroplasts — inside the hamster cells. Using another technique called pulse amplitude modulation fluorometry, they confirmed that the chloroplasts were still performing photosynthesis.

As far as we know, this is the first reported detection of photosynthetic electron transport in chloroplasts implanted in animal cells,said Professor Sachihiro Matsunaga, the corresponding author of the study. We thought that the chloroplasts would be digested by the animal cells within hours after being introduced. However, what we found was that they continued to function for up to two days, and that the electron transport of photosynthetic activity occurred.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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