MIT researchers have demonstrated a technique to grow plant-like tissues in the lab without soil or sunlight. They extracted live cells from Zinnia plant leaves, and cultured them in a liquid growth medium, then transferred the cells to a 3D gel and added two plant hormones. By adjusting their levels, the team coaxed the cells to produce lignin, the protein giving plant tissue rigidity and strength. They could also make tweaks to the biochemical and mechanical properties of the gel scaffold, directing the cells to grow into certain types and produce plant material in customizable shapes. More work needs to be done before lab-grown wood and plant fibers can be practical but this seems a good start.
www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2021/02/lab-grown-plant-tissue-could-be-the-answer-to-deforestation-and-environmental-damage/?utm_source=Anthropocene&utm_campaign=473f03303f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_17_02_17_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ececcea89a-473f03303f-294331733