We may be decades away from eating meat that's been grown in a lab, but we should be starting to benefit from lab-grown skin in the very near future. Scientists at L'Oreal have invented a product called Episkin, which is basically a layer of skin cells grown from human “donor skin cells” in a Petri dish. These small amounts of skin can be used to test beauty products that would have otherwise been tested on animals. Episkin can tan, and can be made to “age” with high exposure to UV light.

The skin is being hailed as an important step in cruelty-free cosmetics, at least in Europe, where an animal beauty product-testing ban sets in 2009 (the practice is banned in the U.K. already). We'd like to think that lab-grown skin would be yet more useful: shouldn't Episkin be seen as an important step towards lab-grown (and therefore cruelty-free) pork crackling? � S.E. Kramer

http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/07/30/labgrown_skin_t.html

http://www.imedex.fr/Episkin.htm

Wonder if this will ever catch on for all the laborties…


-ozone edit-
This thread has turned to crap. Moved to general.

Yes, but before we know it we're going to see sign-wavers outside these labs shouting, “Skin is people, too!”

LOL, or the people who goes: “Creating skin is just like cloning, omg!! its' totally against god…. I'd rather have inaccurate results that comes from force-feeding bunnies full of makeup products and poking things into their eyes!!”

Yep. When that genetically created meat comes around, I'm not sure if vegetarians are going to exist anymore!

…I mean, is it meat if it's not technically killing an animal, or eating a once alive life form?

Oh man, there's a whole new debate discussion right there!

Allan
Yep. When that genetically created meat comes around, I'm not sure if vegetarians are going to exist anymore!

…I mean, is it meat if it's not technically killing an animal, or eating a once alive life form?

Oh man, there's a whole new debate discussion right there!

Yeah, for sure. =)

wouldn't it be better used as transplants for burn victums?

bongotezz
wouldn't it be better used as transplants for burn victums?

I don't think they're that far in the research, yet. I mean, that sounds like a good idea, but what you can test products on might not be safe enough to attach to your face.

bongotezz
wouldn't it be better used as transplants for burn victums?

That's actually the first thing I thought of while reading the story. Man, I hope to see it get that far, because it would be an excellent use for the stuff.

Yep.
But this time, I have a feeling that….
there'll be less people on ‘stike’, yelling against the lab such as ‘skin is people too’, because…. it explains better than cloning a baby.

Cells are just cells- they're not alive beingd who can learn to be happy, sad, cry…
Useful for testing. =D
And less animal will be harmed.
Well, according to me.

I don't care what they test beauty products on, I'm not eating lab grown Pork rinds.

Noooo, don't let it replace bunnies! Bunnies make nice pets. You can stroke them, watch them frolic and feed them carrots.

Lab-grown skin just wouldn't be the same. And if it did eat a carrot, that would scare kids witless. I'm sticking with the bunnies.

DAJB
Noooo, don't let it replace bunnies! Bunnies make nice pets. You can stroke them, watch them frolic and feed them carrots.

Lab-grown skin just wouldn't be the same. And if it did eat a carrot, that would scare kids witless. I'm sticking with the bunnies.

*cries in laughter*

guys, this is all really cool– but I don't think it's a debate unless someone takes the other side… and who can? It saves bunnies.

Though, I will admit that a white long haired cat always looks lovely with blush and blue eye shadow on, it is for the best of animals that we should start to look at other ways to test our products.

hm…im all for it.

mechanical_lullaby

DAJB
Noooo, don't let it replace bunnies! Bunnies make nice pets. You can stroke them, watch them frolic and feed them carrots.

Lab-grown skin just wouldn't be the same. And if it did eat a carrot, that would scare kids witless. I'm sticking with the bunnies.

*cries in laughter*

guys, this is all really cool– but I don't think it's a debate unless someone takes the other side… and who can? It saves bunnies.

OK, I'll bite. What the heck are supposed to have dangling from keychains??? Lucky Synthetic Skin??? It just won't work!!

Bob :P

Ok i'll play devils advocate for the sake of argument.

Humm …….

IT'S AGAINST GODS WILL !

What is next !!! Will we ressurect the nazi camps ?????????

(People who gets the reference gets a cookie)

Shar
Ok i'll play devils advocate for the sake of argument.

Humm …….

IT'S AGAINST GODS WILL !

What is next !!! Will we ressurect the nazi camps ?????????

(People who gets the reference gets a cookie)

Tee hee, I got it, gimme a cookie!!

*Gives cookie*

Rusty Knight
I don't care what they test beauty products on, I'm not eating lab grown Pork rinds.

But what about BARBECUE lab grown pork rinds?

On a more serious note, unless it can be done cheaper than testing on bunnies, I don't look for this to be applied to very many labs. But the skin for burn victims is a good idea.

Not to derail this too far… but another good source of skin for burn victims might be from people who have had gastric bypass surgery and lost >100 pounds in a few months. Especially if we could make the operation free for them to donate.

Anyway, carry on…

This will sure make Easter a bit more Ghoulish!!

Oh sure, its all fun and games until someone makes Frankenbunny.

I for one, welcome my bunny flop overlords.

Bunnies. …. pfft.

Cats are clearly the superior species.

No aging and new skin…its awesome what labs can do now…XD

No aging? Can't wait! Hmm but if we don't stop reproducing….

Logans Run, anyone?

Someone
Bunnies. …. pfft.

Cats are clearly the superior species.

Dogs are the superior species actually