University of Edinburgh researchers bring us a step closer to space bacon 

In Scotland, researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute have created a pig cell line capable of producing fat cells with “remarkable consistency” and stability, without genetic editing.

Principal Investigator Professor Xavier Donadeu said in a press statement that the cells could be a game-changer, with future applications potentially including feeding astronauts in space.

The cells, known as FaTTy, are formed from early-stage stem cells which develop into fat and can grow indefinitely in the lab, without losing the ability to reliably produce fat cells. In contrast, most other animal stem cells quickly lose this capability, making large-scale and extended use in applications like space travel impractical.