Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PROFUSE (A Revolutionary Tech for Exceptionally Efficient Natural Muscle Tissue Growth in Cultivated Meat Applications)
Reporting period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31
Problem/Issue Being Addressed: The project aims to address the critical challenges facing the global food industry, particularly the unsustainable nature of traditional meat production methods. These challenges include the need for efficient muscle tissue growth suitable for scale-up of production, reduction of production costs, and improvement of the nutritional and organoleptic quality of cultivated meat.
Why It Is Important for Society: The importance lies in addressing the looming food security crisis driven by a projected 20% population increase by 2050 and a 100% surge in meat demand. Traditional meat production is unsustainable, straining land and water resources, and significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Cultivated meat offers a sustainable solution, reducing environmental impact and promoting animal welfare.
In addition, an established cultivated meat industry offers an alternative source of meet that help mitigate the risk of meat shortages caused by catastrophes, such as outbreaks of diseases like avian influenza (H1N1) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), thereby enhancing food security.
The importance of this project lies in advancing the commercialization and market entry of cultivated meat products, which are crucial for addressing the global food security crisis and promoting sustainable and ethical food production methods.
Overall Objectives: The project aims to develop innovative solutions for cultivated meat production to address the industry's key challenges: cost reduction, production scale-up, and improved product quality. The objectives include refining 3D growth protocols, adapting cell lines to industry-relevant conditions, and optimizing media supplements. The expected results encompass technical advancements in muscle tissue growth efficiency, cost reduction, and quality improvement, along with business growth through strategic partnerships and market penetration.
Why It Is Important for Society: The importance lies in addressing the looming food security crisis driven by a projected 20% population increase by 2050 and a 100% surge in meat demand. Traditional meat production is unsustainable, straining land and water resources, and significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Cultivated meat offers a sustainable solution, reducing environmental impact and promoting animal welfare.
In addition, an established cultivated meat industry offers an alternative source of meet that help mitigate the risk of meat shortages caused by catastrophes, such as outbreaks of diseases like avian influenza (H1N1) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), thereby enhancing food security.
The importance of this project lies in advancing the commercialization and market entry of cultivated meat products, which are crucial for addressing the global food security crisis and promoting sustainable and ethical food production methods.
Overall Objectives: The project aims to develop innovative solutions for cultivated meat production to address the industry's key challenges: cost reduction, production scale-up, and improved product quality. The objectives include refining 3D growth protocols, adapting cell lines to industry-relevant conditions, and optimizing media supplements. The expected results encompass technical advancements in muscle tissue growth efficiency, cost reduction, and quality improvement, along with business growth through strategic partnerships and market penetration.
From the project's inception to the end of the reporting period, substantial progress has been made in developing innovative solutions for cultivated meat production. The project has tackled the industry's primary challenges, such as cost reduction, production scale-up, and enhanced product quality. Key efforts include refining 3D growth protocols, adapting cell lines to industry-relevant conditions, and optimizing media supplements. The PF-B8 cell line and PF-S1 and PF-S2 media supplements have been developed and optimized for market readiness. Additionally, an AI algorithm has been extended to assess 3D confocal microscope images, aiding in muscle growth evaluation.
Comprehensive market analysis and business planning have been conducted to support commercialization. This includes identifying key stakeholders and competitors and developing a robust business plan. Regulatory compliance steps have been taken, including preparing a safety dossier for submission to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Direct sales strategies and pricing plans have been established, targeting cultivated meat producers and media suppliers. Strategic partnerships have been formed with companies providing complementary technologies to offer integrated solutions.
Comprehensive market analysis and business planning have been conducted to support commercialization. This includes identifying key stakeholders and competitors and developing a robust business plan. Regulatory compliance steps have been taken, including preparing a safety dossier for submission to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Direct sales strategies and pricing plans have been established, targeting cultivated meat producers and media suppliers. Strategic partnerships have been formed with companies providing complementary technologies to offer integrated solutions.
The current ability for producing fully differentiated and mature muscle tissue in the cultivated meat industry are limited. The ability to create mature muscle tissue without the use of any genetic modification is extremely inefficient. Through this project, we will have developed the first of its kind bovine muscle cultivation system that is completely independent of any genetic modification; the system includes a non GM bovine myogenic cell line with the capability to grow and differentiate under serum free conditions, and a toolset of media supplements optimized to promote the highest degree muscle differentiation for the production of 3D muscle constructs that are scalable for food production. The ProFuse cell lines and media supplements help reduce the cost of cultivating muscle-based meat while enabling scale-up and enhancing its quality in terms of texture, flavour, and nutritional value. This marks another significant step towards the commercialization of cultivated meat, which serves as an important, scalable source of protein. It strengthens food security and protects the environment.