Optimizing growth media for bovine cells
Years active: 2023Dr. Betenbaugh is developing a model-based approach to optimize media to reduce the cost of cultivated meat and improve product yield and quality.
Cell culture media
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.
Genome-scale metabolic model of porcine cells
Years active: 2023A genome-scale metabolic model of porcine cells will be constructed and validated to identify the most efficient way to feed porcine cells.
CulFish
Years active: 2023This project will produce an animal-free source of nutrients from upcycled waste streams for fish cells, enabling reductions in the cost of cultivated fish.
Glucose metabolism-guided culture optimization
Years active: 2022The Brodsky-Hanga collaboration will define an intracellular pathway in porcine muscle responsible for the uptake of glucose. The goal is to exploit this understanding to nourish cultured muscle cells for cultivated meat production.
Antinutrient-free plant albumin
Years active: 2022This project aims to identify affordable plant albumins for culture media. Dr. Richards and his team will characterize at least six plant albumins that support fish cell growth.
Algal extracts for cell media
Years active: 2022Dr. Minic and his team will screen algal strains to produce extracts for cell media, focusing on albumin replacements. This project will produce inexpensive algal extracts with high potency to replace albumin in fetal bovine serum, significantly lowering media cost.
Fish culture microcarrier nutrient delivery
Years active: 2022This project will develop novel edible and bioactive microcarriers for scalable, efficient, and reproducible cultivated fish production. These microcarriers will allow in vitro cultivation of fish embryonic stem cells and controlled delivery of essential molecules for cell growth.
Plant-based transferrin media substitutes
Years active: 2022Dr. Stogios’ project will uncover plant-based additives for cellular agriculture media. The team will determine whether transferrin, an expensive but key component of serum-free cell culture media, can be replaced by proteins from legumes (like beans, lentils or chickpeas).
Optimizing fat profiles for nutritional and sensory properties
Because alternative meat's fat content and fatty acid profile can be more easily controlled than conventional meat's, there is an opportunity to alter fat content for nutritional benefits. Additional research is needed to understand the sensory consequences of such manipulations, potentially allowing alternative meat producers to produce "nutritionally enhanced" products without compromising on sensory quality.
