Google co-founder revealed as backer of test-tube hamburger
GOOGLE co-founder Sergey Brin was yesterday unveiled as the mystery financial backer behind a pioneering beef burger made entirely from stem cells.
The billionaire internet entrepreneur revealed his support for the project at the first tasting of the so-called test-tube burger yesterday, appearing in a video message played at the launch event in west London.
Brin bankrolled €250,000 (£216,000) of research at Maastricht University to create the beef – a type of meat made by taking muscle cells from a cow and allowing them to grow and reproduce in a laboratory.
Scientists served up the first public tasting of the burger at the Hammersmith event yesterday, cooking up a sample of the meat in front of the cameras and serving it to volunteer tasters. Food writer Josh Schonwald said the cultured beef had an “animal protein cake” like quality to it.
Professor Mark Post, the scientist behind the programme, said he was delighted to be funded by the search engine boss, and hopes advances in technology will see the burgers on supermarket shelves within 10 years.