Low-cost differentiation medium for seafood
2021-2022
Dr. Rees, Dr. Ovissipour, and Dr. Duscher are working to develop robust, low-cost differentiation media for seafood culture.
PRODUCTION PLATFORM: Cultivated
TECHNOLOGY SECTOR: Cell culture media
Project aims
This project will help develop myogenic and adipogenic differentiation media for zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and adapt this media for sea bass culture. This would reduce costs and optimize media formulations for cultivated seafood production. Beyond zebrafish and sea bass, this work will provide a strong foundation for the development of successful cultivation of other fish species and fish-like cell lines.
Principal researchers
Dr. Steven Rees
CEO, Defined Bioscience, Inc., USA
Dr. Rees has a background in biomedical sciences with training in molecular biophysics, pharmacology, and multiscale biology. He is currently focused on creating high-quality reagents, media, and protocols that will reduce the cost of growing stem cells from humans and animals.
Dr. Reza Ovissipour
Assistant professor, Virginia Tech University, USA
Dr. Ovissipour has expertise in process optimization using AI and machine learning. He has experience developing value-added products from agricultural side streams and researching cultivated seafood production.
Dr. Lexi Duscher
Postdoctoral associate, Virginia Tech University, USA
Dr. Duscher’s research focuses on optimizing cost-effective and efficient fish cell culture for the development of cultivated seafood. She has experience structuring living fish cells into cultivated meat fillets via plant-based scaffolding and 3D bioprinting.
Defined Bioscience is awarded $1.5 million NIH SBIR grant
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Defined Bioscience a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to advance human stem cell media. This research will provide complementary learnings for their GFI-funded cultivated seafood media research.
Related research
Seafood cell lines
Learn about Dr. Kevan Main and Dr. Cathy Walsh’s work at Mote Marine Laboratory to develop cell lines and methodology for cultivated seafood.
3D fiber scaffolds for shrimp
Learn about Dr. Nataraja Yadavalli’s research to develop edible nanofiber scaffolds for Pacific white shrimp at CytoNest.
Explore research opportunities
-
Cultivated
Mapping animal cell metabolism to optimize media formulation
The cost and environmental impact of cultivated meat are driven by the cell culture media formulation and its conversion efficiency into meat. Metabolic modeling and engineering techniques can aid media…
-
Cultivated
-
Fermentation
Consumer education on the food safety of cultivated meat
Consumer education on the food safety of cultivated meat can positively impact consumer acceptance when sufficient information is provided. Additional research and efforts to increase transparent science communication on the…
-
Cultivated
Ensuring appropriate food safety controls for cultivated meat
Sterilization guidelines from well-established biomedical and food industries can act as helpful templates for safe cultivated meat production. However, more research is needed to identify potentially novel production hazards for…
Check out related resources
Analyzing cell culture medium costs
This white paper explains different routes to lowering the cost of cell culture medium and making cultivated meat economically viable.
Translating biomedical advances to cultivated meat (Biochemical Engineering Journal)
This peer-reviewed article discusses how advances from the biomedical cell culture industry can contribute to the development of cultivated meat.
Sustainable Seafood Initiative
Learn how plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated seafood can improve the health and sustainability of oceans.
