
Aug 7, 2026
✦Hindustan Times
A lettuce that makes meat protein: The science behind engineering plants to grow an animal molecule & why it matters
Scientists announced on Thursday that they engineered lettuce and tobacco plants to produce myoglobin, the protein that gives meat its taste and colour. Dr. Alexia Groff said, "Chloroplasts are generally much better at making large amounts of protein than the cell nucleus." This breakthrough could finally improve plant-based meat alternatives.