Lab Grown
Ink2Quill Editorial
www.ink2quill.com

Here are some ramblings on an article I read the other day. The topic seems like something out of a Sci-fi novel but I assure you it is a part of our reality today.

The words “lab grown” evoke strange feelings and emotions in people. We think of meat created in a lab, artificially created meat which we call Franken-meats as a kind of horror. We think of foods, plants and even pets as a kind of abomination, a slur at sanctity of life. But is it? I would love technology to reach the point where we can grow genetically compatible teeth and organs, enzymes and tissue. Then. In that case. Lab grown is wonderful. It is a godsend.

So there seems to be a fear of the lab grown and an expectation for it at the same time because we know how badly we need it. I picture the organ, human harvesting crimes everywhere to end when we can grow the body parts we might need replaced. Think of someone who orders livers on a regular basis for one reason or another. The liver would be compatible and ready to go after a small operation. You know, this idea appeared in the Scifi genre decades ago, if not longer. We dreamed it then made it a reality. And in this case, the results are every bit worth the sweat, effort and dreaming.

But what is the future of all things lab grown? Whether they are parts of people, pets, animals, plants, or even food. Well it really depends on the culture of the place in question, the culture of the dominant place(s) outside the place in question and what we are taking about. For example, the laws of ethics will differ depending on whether we are talking about manipulating and lab creating plants and people or animals. This raises serious questions of what responsibilities we all have toward that lab grown, human creation. And this is a very serious question to pose because this hits at the heart of what kind of society we are creating and the quality of life for everyone. This is all so general. Let’s get more specific.

I read that in some parts of the world there are studies being done to lab grow meat. Yes, meat. Proponents of this emerging industry say that it is a cheaper, more certain way of feeding people without animal cruelty like battery farms and slaughter houses. They say that it is a vital industry to develop if we are going to move out into space. They say, if we are going to explore the galaxy and universe we need to have food sources that don’t require large amounts of land, large amount of clean water, gravity, radiation shielding, large amounts of feed, anti-depressants, antibiotics, growth hormones etc. This sounds convincing. The reason to move out into space is what I find most convincing.

But what about the drawbacks and problems with growing meat, and food, in labs? I imagine that the legal framework that would need to be create would need an army of people who hash out all the details for proper oversight. That is the first thing and don’t underestimate what a gargantuan task that would be. Just remember that every country, region, state and city would want the laws done to their advantage. And don’t forget the various industries and their requirements. Next big issue is the definition of what is LIFE. Yes, at what point would a lab grown creation be considered to be life? It might seem clear that an organ grown in a lab would not meet the definition of life but the person who gave their DNA for the project should have some rights. Like the right not to have their organic material to be used without their consent. Another issue that I heard thrown around is that lab grown meat would not be as nutritious as farm raised, free ranging meat. So, would there be a healthy limit a person could consume? Like, what we have for ice cream. I don’t know. One thing is sure though. We need to keep the questions and constructive criticisms coming so we can design a better lab growing system for this new industry. This really is uncharted waters.

I love the idea of growing people organs in labs. As long as we have certain safeguards in place it could be a wonderful and welcomed addition to technology and the medical industry. Picture someone getting a new kidney and thereby saving their life. Or, even better, imagine someone having their nervous system, like their spinal chord, regrown. That is the medical technology that we really need. Or even, picture a terrible epidemic that targets parts of the body and we lab grow organs or parts of our immune system that are more resilient to that type of disease. The possibilities seem endless. This is definitely not a technology that is going away.

But in the words of the comic book character we all know and love, “With great power comes great responsibility.” And, in the case of this kind of technology, that expression could not be more true. Because we have to admit that this is incredibly powerful technology and in the wrong hands would lead to the most horrible crimes. We have to be very careful not to design a future we do not want to live in. So, we need to proceed with extreme caution and effective oversight.

John Ink2Quill

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