"In 2013, researcher Mark Post produced a burger grown from cow stem cells cultivated into strips of muscle fiber — a landmark proof-of-concept that helped launch the cultured (cell-based) meat field, spurring startups worldwide to grow meatballs, seafood, gelatin and other products from animal cells and prompting forecasts that lab-grown and plant-based options could supply a large share of future meat; the demonstration underscored the promise of meat without conventional livestock while also highlighting persistent challenges around scaling, cost, regulation, and consumer acceptance." - Rebecca Flint Marx