High potency food grade growth factor mimics for low cost cultivated meat manufacture

Cultivated meat promises to revolutionize the food industry by providing a more ethical and greener alternative to animal products, whilst retaining the same taste and texture. However, these products are being held back by the technical complexity of production and, in particular, the high cost of materials used in their manufacture. It is estimated that costs need to be reduced by 99% or more.

A major contributor to these costs are the proteins used in production which supply biological cues to stimulate growth and ensure that the right type of meat cells are produced. Unless the cost of these proteins can be reduced by 99% or more, the sector will not be economically viable.

MarraBio has have developed a radically new way to make alternatives to the proteins currently used. Its materials can be made in very large quantities, and at a cost which will make cultivated meat economically viable. So far, MarraBio has produced "research grade" versions of the products and have preliminary evidence that they will meet the needs of the sector. In the project, MarraBio will demonstrate that the products can be produced at scale and at a quality where they will meet the regulatory requirements needed for their use in cultivated meat production. If successful, by the end of the project we will be in a position to launch our products on this rapidly growing market.

To achieve these aims MarraBio are partnering with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and Aelius Biotech. CPI is a leader in protein manufacturing and analysis and will assist MarraBio in refining its manufacturing techniques to provide tight control over product quality and potency. Aelius Biotech have developed a model of the gut that predicts how ingested substances will affect the digestive system. Their involvement will allow MarraBio to test how their products are processed on ingestion - a critical safety step -- whilst allowing Aelius to further develop their technology towards the needs of this sector. With all participants based in North East England, their collaboration will support the rapidly growing cultivated meat sector in the region.

The outcomes of the project will have a significant impact on the ability to economically produce cultivated meat. This will provide a high quality, potent product that simplifies and reduces the cost of cultivated meat manufacture.