Researchers are closer to growing chicken nuggets in the lab, thanks to the use of tiny hollow fibers that mimic blood vessels.

While cultured meat has been advancing for some time now, it’s been limited to thin strips of less than a millimeter. Creating a thicker product with a familiar appeal has so far proven elusive.

“Replicating the texture and taste of whole-cut meat remains difficult,” explains biomedical engineer Shoji Takeuchi from The University of Tokyo.