Compositions and methods for extending the replicative capacity of bovine cells

A method of making cell-based meat suitable for consumption, comprising

• (a) introducing into a bovine cell within a population of bovine cells that are not immortal a first polynucleotide encoding telomere reverse transcriptase (TERT) operably linked to one or more regulatory elements that promote expression of TERT in said bovine cell and a second polynucleotide encoding a protein that modulates cell proliferation operably linked to one or more regulatory elements that promote expression of said protein in said bovine cell;
• and
• (b) culturing the population of bovine cells in one or more cultivation infrastructures for at least 60 doublings,
• (c) inducing myogenic specific differentiation in the population of bovine cells after step (b), wherein the differentiated cells form myocytes and multinucleated myotubes;
• and
• (d) culturing the myocytes and myotubes to generate skeletal muscle fibers, thereby producing a cultured edible product.