Lab-Grown Wood?

The WinePress has reported on how there is a major push to produce and sell lab-grown meats. A restaurant in Singapore was the first to do this, and KFC wants to 3-D print their meats.

But now scientists are looking at growing and culturing a better wood in a laboratory than trees from God’s creation.

In paper recently published by the Journal of Cleaner Production, scientists and researchers explained how they grew wood-like plant tissue from cells extracted from the leaves of a zinnia plant, without soil or sunlight.

The plant cells are similar to stem cells. They have the potential to be many things.

Luis Fernando Velásquez-García. A principal scientist in MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories and co-author of the paper.

These scientists believe that they have the potential ability to coax these wood tissues into fully formed objects like tables, chairs, and other wooden products. This would help reduce the destruction of trees and slow the forest destruction with modern logging methods.

Trees grow in tall cylindrical poles, and we rarely use tall cylindrical poles in industrial applications. So you end up shaving off a bunch of material that you spent 20 years growing and that ends up being a waste product.

Ashley Beckwith. Mechanical engineering PhD student and the paper’s lead author.

Her and the team envision being able to form and grow larger and rectangular structures, and eventually tables that are assembly free.

This process is very similar to the process that is used to produce the culture the lab-grown meats. According to Beckwith, the process of isolating and growing the wood cells are much easier than the meats. She says this would make the lab-grown wood products much more cost effective.

Velásquez-García doesn’t see this process being used to grow food crops, which could also make its commercial adoption quicker since it won’t need to undergo as strict quality controls. Instead, he sees it as a solution to manufacturing everything from furniture to fibers for clothing.

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

[7] For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. [8] Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; [9] Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

Job 14:7-9

[9] Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. [10] If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

Ecclesiastes 10:9-10

Isn’t it ironic that the people that continually advocate and push for greener lifestyles, involves going in the opposite direction of nature and God’s creation? Instead, this “greener” lifestyle comes in the form of a laboratory.

[18] Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. [19] For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

1 Corinthians 3:18-19

These lab woods, meats, clothing, and the inevitable animals and zombified corpse of a man without a soul will be the future; probably in time for 2030 or in close proximity.

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