Designing cellular building blocks

2019 – 2021

Dr. Machluf is designing a cultivated meat platform based on scalable cellular building blocks and matching processing methodologies.

PRODUCTION PLATFORM: Cultivated

TECHNOLOGY SECTOR:  Scaffolding

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Project aims

This project aims to characterize two biomaterials for cellular building block applications. It will also develop oleogel microparticles for incorporation into cultivated meat to improve texture attributes. By combining cellular building blocks and oleogel microparticles, the research will produce thick-cut cultivated meat on fibrous scaffolds.

This work will create a scalable process for the creation of complex, thick-cut cultivated meat. It will also develop a platform for synthesis of cellular building blocks and oleogel microparticles to produce a wide variety of meat forms.

Principal researcher

Headshot of gfi grantee dr. Marcelle machluf, dean, faculty of biotechnology and food engineering, technion – israel institute of technology, israel

Dr. Marcelle Machluf

Dean, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel

Dr. Machluf has experience combining material engineering and life sciences to develop disease treatments and advanced regenerative medicine. She applies her expertise to gene therapy, drug delivery systems, cell bioencapsulation, and regenerative medicine. Her work leverages natural mechanisms to find safe technological approaches to combating diseases.

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Research grants

Learn about cutting-edge alternative protein research funded by GFI. Find funding opportunities for your own research.

Related research

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Developing marbled cultivated beef

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3-D printing bioinks

Learn about GFI grantee Dr. Sara Oliveira’s work 3D bioprinting scaffolds for cultivated meat the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory in Portugal.

Plant cells under a microscope, representing scaffolding for cultured meat

Plant-based scaffolds

GFI is building plant-based tissue scaffolds for cultivated meat with Dr. Masatoshi Suzuki at University of Wisconsin, Madison

Explore research opportunities

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Naturally adhesive and edible non-animal scaffolding materials

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Incorporating growth factors into scaffolds to reduce costs and introduce spatial heterogeneity

Growth factors (GFs) can be incorporated into scaffolds as a strategy for both reducing costs and improving product quality of cultivated meat. Open-access research is needed to test the feasibility…

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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…

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