THE FARM REVEALED

PROGRAMME 4: TISSUE ENGINEERING

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

00:00 – 00:50

Introduction and titles.

00:50 – 4:23

In the studio, Dr Chris Smith explains what tissue engineering is and how it might be used. He begins a live demonstration in which he will grow a beefburger in a petri dish.

04:23 – 08:00

Giles Corin reports from a tissue lab that has grown a copy of his nose in a culture flask. The lab is developing methods of growing new bone and cartilage for patients who need it.

08:00 – 10:23

Back in the studio, Chris makes a burger shaped scaffold for his beef cells to grow on. The cell culture solution is then poured into the scaffold to adhere to it.

10:23 – 12:50

Olivia Judson reports on how human stem cells are being collected and used down on the farm. Dr Nico Forraz collects stem cells from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. Olivia meets baby Ross who has SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency). He has been treated with stem cells to replace some of his immune function.

12:50 – 13:54

Back in the studio, Chris presents a rather inedible looking burger.

13:54 – 18:23

On the farm Olivia meets some sheep who are 15% human. Professor Esmail Zanjani hopes to grow transplant organs for humans inside living sheep. Each sheep is tailored and made to order by injecting stem cells from the patient into the sheep embryo.

18:23 – 24:00

Back in the studio, a Finnish artist called Oron Catts introduces the idea of tissue culture and its use in art. He makes semi-living sculptures, including a mini jacket made from victimless leather.