Model-guided optimization of alt protein
Years active: 2023This project will develop and optimize low-cost serum-free culture media for cultivated chicken meat, using metabolic modeling and spent media analysis.
Computational modeling
Multi-omic profiling for cultivated seafood
Years active: 2023This project will leverage multi-omic data to analyze several fish species in depth.
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.
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.
Byproducts-to-lipids: techno-economic analysis
Years active: 2022The project will publish an open-access techno-economic analysis (TEA) investigating a two-stage byproducts-to-lipids production system and modeling production choice trade-offs. The wet lab work will analyze organism lipid profiles under various growth conditions to inform the TEA.
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.