Developing cell lines for cultivated seafood
2020-2021
Dr. Kevan Main and Dr. Cathy Walsh at Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida are identifying species, developing methodology, and developing cell lines for optimal cultivated seafood.
PRODUCTION PLATFORM: Cultivated
TECHNOLOGY SECTOR: Cell line development

Project aims
This project aims to develop cell lines from redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) and whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and characterize those cells’ proliferative properties and differentiation potential. It also develops growth media formulations that allow for the proliferation of the developed cell lines as well as exploring methods for inducing myogenesis in the created cell lines.
This work will lower the barrier to entry for other researchers in the field of cultivated seafood by eliminating the need to develop their own cell lines. It will also advance the field by furthering understanding of cell line research from aquatic animals and helping to select optimal species for future cell line development.
Principal researchers

Dr. Kevan Main
Senior Scientist & Program Manager, Mote Marine Laboratory, USA
Dr. Main has led Mote Marine’s aquaculture programs since 2001 and holds extensive experience in developing sustainable aquaculture methods for multiple species.

Dr. Cathy Walsh
Associate Vice President for Research, Senior Scientist, & Program Manager, Mote Marine Laboratory, USA
Dr. Walsh has served as Mote Marine’s quality assurance officer since 2000 and has extensive expertise in marine cell culture and immunology.

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