# Japan creates world's first planimal hybrid cells

> Japanese scientists fuse algae with animal cells to make oxygen-producing planimal cells.
- Title: Japan creates world's first planimal hybrid cells | Shortify
- Summary: Japanese scientists fuse algae with animal cells to make oxygen-producing planimal cells.
- Keywords: planimal cells, university of tokyo, c. merolae, dna integration, photosynthesis, cultured meat, drug production, The Japan Times
- Source: The Japan Times — https://japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/11/13/japan/science-health/plant-animal-cells
- Author: No Author
- Published: 2026-11-13T09:08:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: planimal cells, university of tokyo, c. merolae, dna integration, photosynthesis, cultured meat, drug production, news, politics, world
## Japan team creates planimal cells
Japanese scientists created the world's first plant-animal hybrid cells by fusing cyanidioschyzon merolae with animal cells.
## Planimal cells function as animal cells
The hybrid cells functioned as animal cells because cyanidioschyzon merolae's dna was suppressed and chloroplasts were degraded during fusion.
## Professor Matsunaga explains planimal cells
University of Tokyo professor sachihiro matsunaga hopes to activate cyanidioschyzon merolae genes to generate oxygen through photosynthesis.

> We hope to introduce chloroplasts and activate c. merolae genes to generate oxygen through photosynthesis
## Planimal cells published in nature communications
The team's findings were published in the international journal nature communications.
## Matsunaga's 2018 planimal research
Professor matsunaga has been working on planimal cells since proposing the hybrid in 2018.
## Planimal cells for drug and meat production
If cells producing animal and plant proteins can be cultured using photosynthesis, they could provide new drug and cultured meat production methods.
## Planimal cells survive 150 generations
The planimal cells continued to divide and multiply for more than 150 generations after dna integration.
## Key takeaway

Japan's team created the world's first plant-animal hybrid cells that can produce oxygen through photosynthesis.