
Bioprocess design

High-performance oxygen carriers for cultivated meat
Mammalian cell culture performance can be limited by oxygen and carbon dioxide levels or by shear stress associated with sparging and mixing. The use of protein-based oxygen carriers could help to address these issues in the context of a cultivated meat bioprocess.

Sustainable proteins from agave bagasse fermentation
Years active: 2023This project proposes a two-stage process using agave bagasse and tortilla industry effluents to produce single-cell proteins through fermentation processes.

TRANSFORM ‘Waste-to-Microbial Protein’
Years active: 2023This project will develop new tools and knowledge on optimized, scalable, and sustainable fermentation-derived protein based on low-cost, food-grade carbon sourced from waste.

Sustainable chicken mushroom mycelia production technology
Years active: 2023Development of sustainable production technology for the manufacturing of high-quality chicken mushroom mycelium as a future meat substitute.
Developing scalable, fit-for-purpose bioreactor and bioprocessing technologies for cultivated meat
Optimizing bioreactor and bioprocessing technologies for the needs of the cultivated meat industry has the potential to substantially reduce the cost of cultivated meat production. Innovations in cultivated meat bioprocessing can be broadly classified into strategies focused on food-grade operation, process intensification, and the exploration of novel bioreactor geometries.

Modeling cells and bioreactor hydrodynamics
Years active: 2022This project will optimize large-scale fermenter design and operating conditions. The team will model cell growth, fluid dynamics, and cell viability during scale up. Simultaneously, they will use flow chambers to understand cells’ reaction to physical and chemical stresses.

Bioreactor fluid dynamics and techno-economics
Years active: 2022This project will incorporate computational fluid dynamics and genome-scale metabolic models into techno-economic analyses. This detailed model of bioreactor performance and cell behavior will enable assessment and optimization of novel bioreactor designs more cost effectively than building and testing prototypes.
Scaffolds and structural approaches to optimize fat distribution and content in cultivated meat
The inclusion of fat and marbling in cultivated meat is likely to increase its flavor, texture, and consumer appeal. Structural approaches using edible microcarriers, hydrogels, and 3D bioprinting present promising options to support fat cell growth and reduce buoyancy in culture for integrating fat into cuts of meat, but more research is needed to optimize conditions.
Cost-effective sterility controls for cultivated meat
Meticulous attention to sterility controls throughout cultivated meat production is essential to optimize food safety, but the cost of biopharmaceutical-based sterility—the current standard for cell-based processes—is incongruent with large-scale food production. Research to identify alternative sterility processes with lower costs is needed for cultivated meat to scale successfully.