
“While we significantly cut the cost of media, there is still some optimization that needs to be done to make it industry-ready,” said Andrew Stout. Photo: Alonso Nichols
Bovine muscle cells were made to produce their own growth signals, removing the costly ingredients from the production process
Cellular agriculture—the production of meat from cells grown in bioreactors rather than harvested from farm animals—is taking leaps in technology that are making it a more viable option for the food industry. One such leap has now been made at the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA), led by David Kaplan, Stern Family Professor of Engineering, in which researchers have created bovine (beef) muscle cells that produce their own growth factors, a step that can significantly cut costs of production.
Growth factors, whether used in laboratory experiments or for cultivated meat, bind to receptors on the cell surface and provide a signal for cells to grow and differentiate into mature cells of different types. In this study published in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability, researchers modified stem cells to produce their own fibroblast growth factor (FGF), which triggers growth of skeletal muscle cells—the kind one finds in a steak or hamburger.
“FGF is not exactly a nutrient,” said Andrew Stout, director of science at the Tufts Cellular Agriculture Commercialization Lab and lead researcher on the project. “It’s more like an instruction for the cells to behave in a certain way. What we did was engineer bovine muscle stem cells to produce these growth factors and turn on the signaling pathways themselves.”
Until now, growth factors had to be added to the surrounding liquid, or media. Made from recombinant protein and sold by industrial suppliers, growth factors contribute to a majority of the cost of production for cultivated meat—up to or above 90%. Since the growth factors don’t last long in the cell culture media, they also must be replenished every few days. This limits the ability to provide an affordable product to consumers. Taking that ingredient out of the growth media leads to enormous cost savings.
Stout is leading several research projects at the Cellular Agriculture Commercialization Lab, a technology incubator space which is set up to take innovations at the university and develop them to the point at which they can be applied at an industrial scale in a commercial setting.
“While we significantly cut the cost of media, there is still some optimization that needs to be done to make it industry-ready,” said Stout. “We did see slower growth with the engineered cells, but I think we can overcome that.”
Strategies may include changing the level and timing of expression of FGF in the cell or altering other cell growth pathways. “In this strategy, we’re not adding foreign genes to the cell, just editing and expressing genes that are already there” to see if they can improve growth of the muscle cells for meat production. That approach could also lead to simpler regulatory approval of the ultimate food product, since regulation is more stringent for addition of foreign genes vs. editing of native genes.
Will the strategy work for other types of meat, like chicken, pork, or fish? Stout thinks so. “All muscle cells and many other cell types typically rely on FGF to grow,” said Stout. He envisions the approach will be applied to other meats, although there may be variability for the best growth factors to express in different species.
“Work is continuing at TUCCA and elsewhere to improve cultivated meat technology,” said Kaplan, “including exploring ways to reduce the cost of nutrients in the growth media, and improving the texture, taste, and nutritional content of the meat. Products have already been awarded regulatory approval for consumption in the U.S. and globally, although costs and availability remain limiting. I think advances like this will bring us much closer to seeing affordable cultivated meat in our local supermarkets within the next few years.”
Original Article: Cultivated Meat Production Costs Could Fall Significantly with New Cells Created at Tufts
More from: Tufts University
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Cultivated meat production
- The Country Where You Can Buy Meat Grown in a Lab
Singapore, which subsists on imported food, is looking to secure its future with new ways of feeding its people.
- Cultivated Fish Food For Cats Set For US And Singapore Release
Cat treats made from cultivated fish will be available to buy from 2025, paving the way to more sustainable companion animal food.
- University of Waterloo Students Secure $700,000 to Revolutionize Cultivated Seafood with AI
Kevin Shen and Rikard Saqe, students from the Faculties of Science and Mathematics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, have received over $700,000 in ...
- The UK becomes the first European country to approve lab-grown meat
On July 2, the UK's Animal and Plant Health Agency gave the go-ahead not only for the production but also for the sale of this type of meat ...
- UK approves first cultivated meat sales in Europe — but only for pet food
Cultivated meat is finally approved for sale in Europe — but don’t break out the fine China just yet. The first dishes are exclusively reserved for pets. Our furry friends can now legally dine on ...
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Cultured meat production
- Lab-raised meat 'not the enemy', say farmers
Researchers found British farmers more open to working with synthetic meat producers than others around the world ...
- Cultivated Fish Food For Cats Set For US And Singapore Release
Cat treats made from cultivated fish will be available to buy from 2025, paving the way to more sustainable companion animal food.
- People’s moral values affect attitudes toward lab-grown meat
Those who prioritize the moral value of purity were less likely to view cultured meat favorably and more likely to consider it unnatural.
- RAU report looks at link between farmers and cultured meat
A report led by a team at the RAU has revealed that by-products from farming could be used in the production of cultured meat.
- 3 Cultured Meat Stocks Serving Up Innovation
New tissue engineering and regenerative medicine techniques are pushing the cultured meat industry forward, which will be a boon for cultured meat stocks. The methods of producing cultured meat are ...