Brazilian scientists are creating lab-grown donkey collagen to meet China's demand for ejiao, a traditional medicine derived from donkey skins, and prevent donkey extinction. This initiative aims to satisfy consumer needs while ensuring animal welfare.

Scientists in Brazil are working on a lab-grown donkey collagen that might save the animals from being wiped out worldwide. Their goal is to meet the Chinese middle class’ insatiable demand for ejiao – a traditional Chinese medicine with purported anti-ageing benefits that is derived from donkey skins – while also offering a purer product that poses less risk of contamination. Carla Molento, a professor of animal welfare at the Federal University of Parana and head of its Cellular Animal Science...