Making muscle cells
2020-2022
Dr. Bar-Nur is exploring a process to directly convert bovine and porcine fibroblasts into proliferative myogenic progenitor cells.
PRODUCTION PLATFORM: Cultivated
TECHNOLOGY SECTOR: Cell line development
Project aims
This project aims to convert fibroblasts directly into induced myogenic progenitor cells to be used for cultivating meat. This would provide an alternative to conventional methods of growing muscle progenitors (i.e., myoblasts). The project also assesses the capacity of the induced myogenic progenitors to generate muscle fibers by small molecules and serum withdrawal.
This work will devise new methods to produce animal muscle cell lines. Ultimately, it could reduce costs of cultivated meat production via long-term propagation of cell lines.
Principal researcher
Dr. Ori Bar-Nur
Assistant Professor, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Dr. Bar-Nur has experience generating muscle stem and progenitor cells through direct lineage conversion of somatic cells. He has investigated myogenic stem cells for muscle regeneration and explored the capacity to expand and characterize myogenic cultures molecularly and functionally.
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