South Korean researchers have combined cow muscle cells with rice grains. They say the new rice is an important step towards a sustainable, less costly source of protein. The researchers suggested it could replace the meat of farmed cattle, or beef.Professor Jinkee Hong of Yonsei University led the research. Hong said the “beef rice” is the first product of its kind. The results of the research were recently published in Matter.The beef rice uses grain particles as the base for growing animal muscle and fat cells.The researchers treated rice grains with chemicals called enzymes to create an environment for cell growth. They added cells from cattle to create the final product, which is a combination, or hybrid, of the two. The result looks like a grain of rice with a pink color.