futuristic food

Texas startup developing lab-grown brisket earns national spotlight

BioBQ is working on technology to bring its lab-created, cell-cultured brisket to the market in 2023. Courtesy of BioBQ

Brisket, a barbecue staple in Texas, is as synonymous with the Lone Star State as the Alamo and oil wells. A Texas company recently recognized as the state’s most innovative startup wants to elevate this barbecue staple to a new high-tech level.

BioBQ is working on technology to bring its lab-created, cell-cultured brisket to the market in 2023. The Austin-based company made the Bloomberg news service’s new list of the 50 startups to watch in the U.S. — one startup for each state.

The co-founders of BioBQ are Austin native Katie Kam, a vegan with five college degrees (four from the University of Texas and one from Texas A&M University), and Janet Zoldan, a “hardcore carnivore” who’s a professor of biomedical engineering at UT. Kam is the CEO, and Zoldan is the chief science officer.

This kind of meat is genuine animal meat that’s produced by cultivating animal cells in a lab, according to the Good Food Institute.

“This production method eliminates the need to raise and farm animals for food. Cultivated meat is made of the same cell types arranged in the same or similar structure as animal tissues, thus replicating the sensory and nutritional profiles of conventional meat,” the institute says.

It turns that before becoming a vegan, Kam worked at the now-closed BB’s Smokehouse in Northwest Austin as a high school student. She’d chow down on sauce-slathered brisket and banana pudding during on-the-job breaks.

“But then over time, as I learned more about factory farming and could no longer make the distinction between my dogs and cats I loved and the animals that were on my plate, I decided to become vegan,” Kam writes on the BioBQ website.

Hearing about the 2013 rollout of the first cell-cultured hamburger set Kam off on her path toward starting BioBQ in 2018. Zoldan joined the startup as co-founder the following year.

Now, BioBQ aims to be the first company in the world to sell brisket and other barbecue meats, such as jerky, made from cultured cells rather than slaughtered animals.

According to BioBQ’s profile on the Crunchbase website, the startup relies on proprietary technology to efficiently produce meat products in weeks rather than the year or more it takes to raise and slaughter cattle. This process “allows control of meat content and taste, reduces environmental impacts of meat production, and takes BBQ to the next tasty, sustainable level consumers want,” the profile says.

In 2020, Texas Monthly writer Daniel Vaughn questioned BioBQ’s premise.

He wrote that “there is something about the idea of lab-grown brisket that keeps bothering me, and it has nothing to do with science fiction. If you could design any cut of beef from scratch, why choose one that’s so difficult to make delicious? Why not a whole steer’s worth of ribeyes?”

Kam offered a very entrepreneur-like response.

“I’m from Austin, and I know that brisket’s kind of a big deal here,” Kam told Vaughn. “It seemed like a great, challenging meat to demonstrate this technology working.”

Meanwhile, Zoldan came up with a more marketing-slanted reaction to Vaughn’s bewilderment.

“I don’t think cell-based meats will take over the market, but I think there’s a place for it on the market,” Zoldan she told Vaughn.

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This article originally ran on CultureMapCultureMap.

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You can tap into AI to run your office more efficiently, according to this expert. Image via Getty Images

We are crossing a Rubicon. A point of no return. The birth of Chat GPT has opened a world of possibilities not seen before. Though artificial intelligence has been a part of our lives for many years, it has now taken a form that will become more universal. And nowhere will it be more prevalent than in the workplace. Companies all around the world are using this technology to transform the way we work and the offices we inhabit. The race is on.

Many companies are already using AI to drastically change their office design and the way they work. Those that haven’t embraced it are now faced with a choice – to incorporate the AI revolution into their business, tactics, and workspace or get left behind. Luckily, the companies that are utilizing AI and ChatGPT have proven several ways that the technology can benefit their workflow and company culture, including:

  • Speech recognition capabilities
  • Task automation
  • Improved workplace design

In this article, we will explore each of these benefits and how they are helping businesses enhance productivity, support their employees, and transform their offices.

Voice to Text Capabilities

Companies are using AI to support employees by alleviating mundane tasks that can lead to burnout, starting with typing. AI-powered speech recognition software enables employees to use their voice to respond to emails, create reports, and fill out forms. This type of solution is effective because the average typing speed is in the 40 words per minute range. However, speech-to-text entries are about three times faster and more accurate. Additionally, the technology can reduce repetitive stress injuries and eliminate barriers for employees with disabilities.

Task Automation

AI-powered technologies can also automate other tasks like generating meeting summaries and minutes. This can save time and ensure that critical information is not missed. ChatGPT can even automate the scheduling of meetings and appointments. Shaffra, a company in Dubai, is utilizing the chatbot’s services to free up time and resources for more creative and strategic work. Other startups like Growdash are leveraging ChatGPT to provide insights into why a particular marketing campaign has not performed well and how it can be improved.

ChatGPT also helps streamline processes, such as onboarding new hires. By providing an accessible, centralized repository of information, ChatGPT can help employees reduce decision-making time and improve accountability. With its visibility into task completion, the technology also encourages remote workers to stay engaged, speeding up workflows.

Improved Workplace Design

ChatGPT is also impacting workplace real estate by influencing design choices. With the rise of virtual communication, businesses are reconsidering the layout of physical workspaces. ChatGPT can help inform these decisions by analyzing employee feedback and identifying patterns in communication and collaboration. This data can be used to design workspaces that are optimized for productivity, improving employee satisfaction, and reducing turnover.

At Telstra, Australia's leading telecommunications company, CEO Vicki Brady identified AI as a key part of the company's 2025 strategy and has already implemented various AI technologies to improve customer service, network security, and software development. This in turn could lead to a need for more versatile and adaptable workspaces that can accommodate different work styles and preferences.

Conclusion

It is important to note that AI technologies are not perfect. Users have stated that AI may occasionally give inaccurate responses or have untrustworthy information sources. But the benefits of using AI-powered technologies to support employee throughput and well-being still outweigh the risks.

As companies navigate a rapidly changing global landscape, technological advancements can play a critical role in ensuring their success. From automating tedious tasks to enabling remote work, artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and speech recognition platforms have become vital assets for optimizing workplace efficiency and processes. Ultimately, the success of any business lies in its ability to adapt to ever-changing technologies, and ChatGPT is undoubtedly leading the way.

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Matt Norberg is the associate technical designer at Gensler.

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