application area

Cultivated Meat

Applying advances in cell biology, tissue engineering and bioprocess design to produce real animal protein directly from cells, offering a sustainable pathway to meet global demand without conventional livestock production.

01

Cell line development & engineering

Focus

Creating robust, high-yield cell lines for meat cultivation across multiple species

Core Research Areas
  • Generation and optimisation of immortalised cell lines. ​
  • Application of engineering biology for stable growth, enhanced differentiation, and improved nutritional composition. ​
  • Use of omics data and AI-guided design to identify key growth and metabolic pathways. ​
  • Engineering cells for resilience to shear stress, temperature variation, and contamination risk.
Intended Outcomes

Stable, high-performing cell lines suitable for scalable cultivated meat production with improved quality and safety. 

02

Serum-free media & growth factor innovation ​

Focus

Designing cost-effective, animal-component-free growth media to enable large-scale cultivated meat production.

Core Research Areas
  • Replacement of serum with recombinant or fermentation-derived growth factors and peptides. 
  • Identification of minimal, defined media formulations for different cell types. 
  • Engineering of self-sufficient or “growth factor–producing” cells to reduce reliance on supplements. 
  • Valorisation of agricultural side streams as nutrient sources for media formulation.
Intended Outcomes

Affordable, sustainable, serum-free media formulations that dramatically reduce production costs.

03

Scaffolds, structure & texture

Focus

Developing edible and functional scaffolds to support tissue formation, texture, and product realism. 

Core Research Areas
  • Biomaterial scaffolds (e.g., plant polymers, bacterial cellulose, mycelial structures). 
  • Design of porous matrices that mimic muscle architecture and promote cell adhesion and alignment. 
  • Integration of mechanical and sensory testing to correlate scaffold design with texture perception. 
  • Hybrid systems combining plant and cultivated components for structured products. 
Intended Outcomes

Scalable scaffold systems that enable tissue-like texture and improved consumer acceptance. 

04

Bioprocess Development & Scale-Up

Focus

Advancing cell culture process engineering to improve productivity and enable industrial-scale manufacturing. 

Core Research Areas
  • Design of bioreactors for adherent and suspension cell growth (stirred-tank, perfusion, or novel batch systems).
  • Development of monitoring, automation, and process control strategies for cell culture scale-up.
  • Optimisation of hydrodynamics, nutrient transfer, and cell viability at large volumes.
  • Integration of techno-economic and life-cycle analysis to guide process design and cost reduction.
Intended Outcomes

Efficient, scalable, and cleanable bioprocess systems for reproducible cultivated meat production.

05

Product Quality, Nutrition & Consumer Acceptance

Focus

Ensuring cultivated meat achieves the taste, texture, nutrition, and trust required for market success.

Core Research Areas
  • Analysis of flavour, aroma, and textural attributes in cultivated tissues.
  • Enhancement of nutritional composition through lipid and amino acid profile engineering.
  • Assessment of sensory performance in hybrid and whole-cut prototypes.
  • Consumer and regulatory studies to evaluate acceptance, labelling, and communication strategies.
Intended Outcomes

Cultivated meat products that match or exceed conventional meat in sensory quality, nutritional value, and consumer confidence.