Belgian biotech incubator Biotope has announced its fifth cohort of start-ups. Selected from 11 teams participating in the three-week basecamp, the winners receive a €250,000 investment, support and access to high-tech laboratory and greenhouse facilities, scientific sites at the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) and pilot facilities through its partner network. Launched in 2022 by VIB, Biotope nurtures early-stage biotech startups in agrifood, bringing them to seed-stage readiness within 18 months. For investors, Biotope de-risks ventures by ensuring that start-ups in its programme are scientifically and financially sound, scalable and equipped with a solid understanding of their regulatory and IP pathway. Lantana Bio (France) – Lantana Bio produces natural colourants through precision fermentation I-Challenge (Belgium) – I-Challenge develops ways to more accurately and easily predict food shelf life, aiding in food waste reduction Corium Biotech (Portugal) – Corium Biotech develops exotic leather via cellular agriculture Each start-up will receive bespoke, skilled support, tailored to their individual needs, from Biotope’s team of scientists, business experts and corporate partners as well as legal, financial and IP experts. The new cohort will join a portfolio that has so far secured a total of €20 million in external funding permitting them to hire 20 new full-time employees. To date, Biotope has aided 13 start-ups across seven countries. Head of Biotope, Annick Verween, said: “Biotope focuses on potentially impactful solutions which can benefit from a dedicated biotech ecosystem to support them. Our new fifth cohort is a perfect reflection of this mission – all of the start-ups represented are passionate entrepreneurs with groundbreaking biotech solutions that have the power to create lasting change for people and the planet.” Verween continued: “By combining our high-quality incubation support with targeted investment, we provide the start-ups with the resources and expertise to develop their proposition and scale rapidly. We’re thrilled to support these visionary founders as they embark on their journeys.” Mounir Benkoulouche, CEO of Lantana Bio, commented: "Our journey with Biotope has been an invaluable learning experience, especially in areas like business development and regulatory challenges. The open and direct dialogue with experts and discussing challenges with peers provided insights we couldn’t have gained from research alone. As a Biotope portfolio company, we're excited to tap into Biotope’s network for crucial guidance on regulatory matters and market access, and we look forward to finding the right partners to bring our product to market." Wendy Ossieur, CEO of I-Challenge, added: “We’re honoured to share that I-Challenge is joining the Biotope family! This opportunity will enable us to advance our solutions, helping food companies to better determine shelf-life and fight food waste. We’re looking forward to collaborating with Biotope’s passionate team and leveraging its extensive network of experts.” #Biotope #Belgium #LantanaBio #IChallenge #CoriumBiotech

The APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture has welcomed Meatable as its newest member.   Meatable, a cultivated meat company based in the Netherlands, has expanded its presence into the Asian market over the last few years.  Aaron Yeo, general manager of Meatable’s Singapore operations, has been appointed as the new member representative to APAC-SCA.   Peter Yu, programme director at APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture, said: “We're thrilled to have Meatable joining APAC-SCA and our joint effort to develop the cultivated food industry further regionally. Meatable's strong footprint in the field will undoubtedly be a great asset to various of programs encompassing the scope of regulatory coordination, ecosystem building, and public perception. APAC-SCA is looking forward to the years ahead of collective collaboration and industry progression.”   Aaron Yeo, general manager of Singapore operations at Meatable, added: “We at Meatable are honoured to join the APAC Society on Cellular Agriculture. Climate change and its impact on the food supply chain require strong, international collaboration among diverse stakeholders. As we launch in Asia, we look forward to connecting with like-minded partners to contribute to this vital cause. We appreciate the society’s warm welcome and support.”  Meatable joins APAC-SCA's existing members including Avant Meats, CellX, Aleph Farms, IntegriCulture, Simple Planet, Shiok Meats, Joes Future Foods, Gaia Foods, DaNAgreen and Seawith.   #Meatable #APACSCA

In this instalment of The Cell Base's ‘Start-up spotlight,' we speak to Max Jamilly, co-founder of Hoxton Farms, a UK-based biotech working in the cultivated fat space. What inspired the establishment of Hoxton Farms, and what factors led the company to focus on cultivating real animal fat through cellular agriculture? Could you tell us more about the inspiration and driving force behind the establishment of the company? At Hoxton Farms, we grow real animal fat – without the animals. People crave delicious meat alternatives but today plant-based meat doesn’t taste good enough. Cultivated fat is the missing ingredient that makes meat alternatives look, cook, and taste like the real thing. My co-founder, Ed, and I have always loved food, and we’re passionate about using tech to solve big problems. I’m a synthetic biologist, and Ed is a mathematician and machine learning expert. We wanted to make a difference in the food space, not only because we are both foodies and avid home cooks, but also because of food’s huge impact on every single individual's day-to-day life. Like many others, we wanted to reduce our meat consumption, but we couldn’t find delicious alternatives to traditional meat. Burgers tasted like coconut; sausages were greasy; bacon was bland…This is because today’s plant-based products use plant oils that are unappetising and unsustainable. This is when we realised products were missing the most important component of meat: fat. That’s where we saw the opportunity to change the meat industry, bringing together our computational modelling and cell biology skills in an innovative process to grow animal fat from stem cells: a sustainable, scalable, cost-effective ingredient. 90% of plant-based consumers also eat meat, but poor taste is the primary factor preventing repeat purchases. In fact, global dollar sales of plant-based meat were $6 billion in 2022, compared to traditional meat sales of $1.3 trillion. There is huge latent demand for realistic meat alternatives, but consumers need mouthwatering options and the key to unlocking them is fat – which gives meat its flavour. That’s why, in 2020, we co-founded Hoxton Farms with the mission of transforming every meal on the planet, cultivating an irresistibly fatty future. What unique benefits do Hoxton Farms' cell-cultivated animal fat products offer, and how do you envision their impact on the future of sustainable meat consumption? Unlike many companies in the cell-cultivated meat space, we make cultivated fat to sell as a B2B ingredient. Our customers combine our fat with plant-based protein to make ‘hybrid’ products that sizzle, smell and taste like traditional meat. There are four main advantages of making cultivated fat for hybrid products. First, cultivated fat is the real thing, enabling manufacturers to replace flavourings, binders and filler ingredients – improving their performance, nutrition and taste. Second, a small amount of fat is enough to transform a product to become moreish. Plant-based proteins can provide texture and volume, combined with cultivated fat to deliver flavour, sizzle, and aroma. Third, fat is faster and more cost-effective to grow than muscle, allowing us to scale more quickly. Lastly, by replacing unstable, liquid plant oils such as coconut oil or sunflower oil, cultivated fat enables exciting new categories of meat alternatives, especially whole cuts such as steak, pork belly or bacon. Our initial focus is on pork fat, which has the most distinct taste, accounts for the largest share of global meat consumption and is important in a range of countries. However, our production platform extends to other types of meat including beef, chicken and fish and we can customise our product to go beyond the taste and nutritional properties of traditional fat. We are now scaling up production capacity and collaborating with partners in preparation for commercial launch in 2025. Our vision is that these hybrid alternatives will maximise the number of people who eat more sustainably.2 What are the essential technologies and capabilities that make up Hoxton Farms' services? Hoxton Farms’ unique advantage lies in the combination of synthetic biology and mathematical optimisation. We use machine learning models to optimise cells, media (the food we feed our cells) and bioprocess (the fat production process), combined with a high-throughput platform driven by robotics and computer vision for data collection. We have proprietary tech for every part of this process, from cell lines to unique reactors. Most importantly, what has made us successful thus far is our people. We’re lucky to have a world-class team of scientists, mathematicians, hardware engineers and computational experts – all working in tandem. Our cell-culture scientists are working to understand the most effective ways to grow the fattiest, juiciest fat cells, which our bioprocessing team then works to scale. Our food development kitchen also allows us to test the flavour profiles of the cultivated fat we harvest, and prototype products with customers. Our computational team uses machine learning algorithms and mathematical modelling to design a production process that is uniquely cost-effective and scalable. An interdisciplinary approach means that mathematicians work closely with biologists every day, allowing us to use machine learning to optimise biological processes. As a result, we are on track to reach cost-parity with plant oils at commercial scale. Sustainability and ethical considerations play a significant role in the cell-based food sector. How does Hoxton Farms approach these aspects in its operations, specifically in the cultivation of animal fat? The environmental impact of the traditional meat industry is no secret, and global demand for meat shows no signs of stopping: it has increased five-fold since the 1960s and is expected to double by 2050. The high resource use, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions (which some experts say could be as high as 20% of all global GHG emissions) associated with livestock production have led to increased calls for reduced consumption of animal-based products. However, plant-based products currently use plant oils, which have their own sustainability challenges, such as deforestation to enable the production of palm oil. Cultivated fat ticks the boxes that many people are looking for in meat alternatives. It is a solution to accelerating the shift towards sustainable plant-based diets while minimising consumers’ behavioural change. Has Hoxton Farms encountered any challenges on its journey so far? How did the company navigate and overcome these obstacles? We’ve had plenty of challenges along the way, most recently setting up our 14,000-square-foot pilot facility in Central London – the UK’s first dedicated facility for producing cultivated fat. The building we moved into was a complete blank slate (for example, it didn’t even have HVAC or wiring). Also, our needs are much more complex than those of a typical start-up, so it was a huge effort to outfit the space and navigate the required permits. My co-founder Ed oversaw much of the operational side, and while we heavily relied on our team’s expertise, we decided to outsource a number of tasks to experts to keep our team focused. Our team’s hard work and planning meant we completed the construction project on time and on budget with zero R&D downtime. Right now, our most exciting challenge is scaling up production so that we can produce cultivated fat in the quantities required to meet customer demand. This is why we’ve developed powerful proprietary bioreactor technology to minimise technical risk and accelerate how quickly we can get to commercial scale. We’ve also worked hard to refine our computational platform, which helps us constantly improve the efficiency of our process so – aided by economies of scale – we can keep operational costs down. Maintaining affordability is a priority for us, as it will enable more people to access delicious and sustainable meat alternatives. What exciting developments or plans does Hoxton Farms have in the pipeline for the future, and what can we expect to see from the company in the coming months or years? We are focused on scaling up production in our new pilot facility to meet future demand. Alongside this, we’ll be working with customers and partners to co-develop hybrid meat alternatives containing cultivated fat and plant-based protein, while continuing conversations with regulators across multiple geographies to obtain approval to sell these products. We’re also growing quickly, including the recent addition of two senior hires – Vítor Espírito Santo and Nadav Tal - so we are excited to use their expertise to help us scale production and achieve regulatory approval. #HoxtonFarms #UK

This weekend, the Fatwa Committee of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) – the sole entity with legal authorisation to issue halal certificates in Singapore – announced that under certain conditions, cell-based meat consumption can be permissible as halal. The announcement was made at MUIS’ Fatwa Conference after more than a year of deliberations by the council. At the conference, experts from the Good Food Institute (GFI) APAC provided technical presentations about the process of cultivating meat from animal cells. MUIS representatives also made a fact-finding visit to a local cell-based meat production facility, with scholars from the Fatwa Lab Project studying the subject from all angles of the Islamic perspective. In presenting the results of the study at the conference, the scholars stated that the many pros of cell-based meat – particularly for the environment and food security – outweigh any theoretical cons. The specific halal requirements outlined today by MUIS largely align with those released several months ago by Shariah scholars in Saudi Arabia, including stipulations that: the cell-based meat product’s cell line must derive from a species that Muslims are allowed to eat (for example chickens are permitted, pigs are not); the cell-culture medium must not include non-halal ingredients; and the finished product must be approved by the appropriate food-safety regulatory agency. 40% of people in Southeast Asia identify as Muslim, including 15% of Singaporeans. GFI APAC says that “halal certification of cultivated meat is a logical next chapter in the city-state’s evolving food story”. The announcement has been welcomed by food producers within the region, who GFI APAC says have been looking for guidance on how they might achieve religious certifications. In an industry-wide survey released by GFI APAC last year, 87% of cell-based meat producers said that complying with halal requirements was a priority for their business. GFI APAC managing director Mirte Gosker said: “More than a billion people around the world adhere to halal food standards, so for cultivated meat to make the leap from novelty to the norm, it is crucial that there are viable pathways to achieve this certification. Building a truly inclusive, efficient, and secure protein production system requires making high-quality, nutrient-rich, and culturally relevant foods available to every facet of society.” “With MUIS’s precedent-setting announcement, Singapore is bringing that bold vision one step closer to reality.” #Singapore

Steakholder Foods has announced its first private-sector commercialisation deal as it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Wyler Farm. Through the deal, Wyler Farm – one of Israel’s leading alt-protein manufacturers and the country’s largest tofu producer – will acquire Steakholder Foods’ printer, in a transaction valued at “several million dollars”. The terms of the deal involve Wyler Farm acquiring Steakholder Foods' 3D Fusion Pro meat printer, along with a subscription to the company’s SH Software and its NutriBlend ink for plant-based meat production. Steakholder Foods says that to the best of its knowledge, this marks an industry-first incorporation of industrial-scale 3D printing technology into the food industry. Through the MOU, the companies expect the production of a unique, plant-based 3D-printed meat steak to be printed by Wyler Farm using Steakholder Foods printers and NutriBlend ink. The collaboration, valued at several million US dollars over the coming years, represents a truly significant development in the plant-based meat industry (see future-looking statement below). Wyler Farm’s installation of the Fusion Pro 3D printer is anticipated to be completed between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. The Fusion Pro's modular design is capable of producing up to 500 kg of “highly advanced” texturized printed products per hour. Wyler Farm expects the partnership to enhance its production capabilities, representing a crucial step in the evolution of plant-based meat technology. Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods, said: “By incorporating our Fusion Pro technology into Wyler Farm’s industrial operations alongside their subscription to our proprietary software and ink supply, we're not just showcasing our technology's potential – we're setting a new standard for the industry”. Yair Ayalon, VP of business development at Steakholder Foods, commented: "This collaboration with Wyler Farm...solidifies and enhances Steakholder Foods’ commercial phase. As we expand our operations, we are set to forge more strategic partnerships like this in 2024, further cementing our position in the market." Oleg Kulyava, CEO of Wyler Farm, said: “The partnership with Steakholder Foods marks a significant milestone for Wyler Farm, enabling us to position our products at the forefront of the plant-based meat market. We are thrilled to expand our portfolio with premium plant-based steak and anticipate introducing additional premium products based on Steakholder Foods’ technology. By integrating innovative 3D printing technology, this collaboration has the potential to be a game-changer in the industry.” #SteakholderFoods #Israel

A new EU-funded think-tank, FEASTS (Fostering European Cellular Agriculture for Sustainable Transition Solution), launched last week. The collaborative research programme aims to deliver a comprehensive, unbiased knowledge base about cell-based meat and seafood, and their place in the food system. It will focus on sustainability by design, an interdisciplinary approach and knowledge sharing. The initiative will be conducted by a consortium of 36 independent institutions from 17 countries including universities and research institutes, start-ups, business accelerators, independent consultants, international food innovation initiatives, representatives of farmers and aquafarmers, and a consumer association. Over the next three years, participants will research the technologies involved in the sustainable production of cell-based meat and seafood, investigating nutritional, health and regulatory aspects, as well as issues of food safety. The initiative will also address ethical questions connected with the novel proteins, with environmental, economic and social life cycle analysis and expand the understanding of the multi-dimensional impact of cell-ag on the environment and the food value chain. Marja-Liisa Meurice, director, EIT Food North and East region, (one of the programme’s partners), said: “Growing demand for protein along with the substantial environmental footprint of traditional animal farming means we need to look for sustainable sources of complementary proteins, which is exactly what FEASTS is doing. We are looking to identify the most sustainable, economically viable technologies, and to establish their place in the European Union’s (EU) food system.” She added: “We want our findings to ultimately serve as a decision support tool for informed policy and decision-making in the EU.” Inviting input from food system stakeholders, FEASTS will provide a forum for open and informed discussion about the role of cell-ag in meeting the growing demand for sustainable proteins. FEASTS will explore how cell-based meat and seafood technologies can contribute to the future of farming. As all cell-ag products require the contribution of traditional agriculture, FEASTS will actively involve farmers in designing processes and future scenarios that will generate fair economic returns for them. Another topic of study will be the impact on consumers. Knowledge gaps regarding nutrition and food safety will be addressed with transparency, while workshops and focus group studies will put consumer preferences and the diverse food cultures of Europe at the centre of research on the acceptance of new products on tables across the EU. One of the goals of FEASTS is to establish a stewardship model for the EU's cell-based meat and seafood sector and support its future competitiveness. It hopes to create a framework for sustainable production resulting in safe, nutritious and widely accessible cultured products available to all consumers. Frederico Ferreira, FEASTS project manager and coordinator from Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, commented: “Our aim with FEASTS, which has been designed as a think-tank, is to expand the knowledge related to cultivated meat and seafood so we can future-proof protein supply. We are focused on responsible innovation and principles of open science to ensure data-sharing, reproducibility and, ultimately, access to the project’s findings by key stakeholders.” He concluded: “We also welcome input from any institutions operating in the food system which are not yet part of the project. Together, we will create a unique opportunity for an effective reorganisation of the food system and the establishment of resilient value chains in the EU.” #FEASTS #EU

Israel-based animal-free dairy start-up Remilk has received Health Canada’s ‘Letter of No Objection,’ enabling the use and sale of its animal-free beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) protein in Canada. Remilk's animal-free BLG milk protein is equivalent to its cow-derived counterpart, but it is produced through precision fermentation, without a single cow. The company manufactures its protein at commercial scale in several locations around the world. In February last year, Remilk received a ‘No Questions Letter’ from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and gained approval from the Singapore Food Agency for its animal-free BLG protein and, in April, it received regulatory approval in Israel. Now, with Health Canada's ‘No Objection Letter,’ Remilk says it is LBG protein is the “first” animal-free protein greenlit for use within the country. The letter means that Canadian manufacturers can use Remilk's protein in a variety of products with the same taste and texture as milk, ice cream, yogurt, cream cheese and more. The protein is free of lactose, cholesterol and growth hormones, and Remilk says it provides “significant” nutritional and environmental benefits. Aviv Wolff, Remilk's co-founder and CEO, said: "This is an important day for us at Remilk, and a historic one for Canada as it opens its doors to the new-dairy revolution. We developed a strategic roadmap for regulatory approvals around the world, recognising that CPG companies seek solutions that benefit consumers throughout North America. We prioritised Canada in our regulatory strategy, following the green light from the FDA.” He continued: “There's a lot to love in dairy, which is why we set out to create a solution that will enable consumers to enjoy the taste of the dairy they love, without dairy's environmental and health-related drawbacks. The recognition from Health Canada – which follows years of R&D and major investments by Remilk – led to this pivotal moment, enabling a substantial market entry." Ori Cohavi, co-founder and CTO at Remilk, commented: "Health Canada's acceptance of our animal-free protein is additional validation of its safety and purity. Canada is the fourth separate health administration to conduct thorough examinations of our protein and each, individually, found it to be equivalent to its traditional counterpart.” Cohavi explained that regulatory approvals serve to open new markets for the sale of these proteins, while also reassuring both industry and consumers that the protein is the same milk protein they have been consuming for decades. Wolff added: "Canada is an important market for us, and we are proud to be the first to enter with an opportunity to deliver an unparalleled dairy experience for Canadians. We are now ready to partner with leading food companies in the country and offer consumers a whole new experience of guilt-free indulgence.” #Remilk #Israel

British cell-based meat company Ivy Farm has collaborated with UK department store Fortnum & Mason to recreate the scotch egg using cultured beef mince. The one-off collaboration saw a "handful” of cell-based meat scotch eggs created exclusively for the panel discussion on the future of meat production to highlight the environmental implications of industrial farming. The scotch eggs were sampled by pre-selected attendees prior to the discussion. The panel was made up of speakers from both food-tech companies and traditional agricultural businesses. The cell-based beef scotch eggs were created for the purpose of the event with the companies stating that they have “no plans to sell in the future”. The process of creating the beef mince for the scotch eggs involves taking a cell sample from a farm-raised animal and cultivating the cells in fermentation tanks at Ivy Farm’s facility in Oxford, UK. Through this process, Ivy Farm says it produces 92% less emissions, 90% less land and 66% less water than conventional beef farming. The event is part of an ongoing series of conversations led by Fortnum & Mason around the future of food innovation that bring together voices across technology, agriculture and hospitality. The scotch egg is a traditional British dish that was first created by Fortnum & Mason in 1738 as a meal for travellers heading through London. It consists of a shelled hard-boiled egg that is wrapped in sausage, covered in breadcrumbs and then deep-fried or baked until crispy. Fortnum & Mason says it has adapted the product in response to financial and logistical challenges, such as meat shortages during World War Two and innovated it to meet changing consumer tastes. By experimenting with cell-based meat, Fortnum & Mason is innovating again and exploring ways it could look to reduce the environmental impact of its products in the future. Fortnum & Mason’s Food & Drink Studio producer, Hatty Cary, said: “We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Ivy Farm to create the world’s first cultivated meat scotch egg, having launched our original almost 300 years ago. Fortnum's has always embraced innovation, but our recently opened Food & Drink Studio allows us to truly place ourselves at the heart of conversation and discovery.” She continued: “It has been fascinating to examine what the future of meat production might look like by bringing together voices from the world of technology, agriculture and hospitality, and experimenting with such cutting-edge science.” Emma Lewis, chief commercial and product officer at Ivy Farm, added: “Fortnum & Mason is an iconic heritage brand in the UK, so to recreate the scotch egg, an equally as iconic British snack, with our cultivated meat is an exciting opportunity to showcase how we can keep eating the nutritious and delicious meat that we love, but made in a different way”. “Once we have scaled up, collaborations and partnerships like this will be pivotal as we look to introduce consumers to cultivated meat products on a wider scale, building acceptance in their quality and taste, and an understanding of the environmental benefits they can provide.” #IvyFarm #UK

The European Commission has stated that Italy violated a key EU scrutiny procedure by passing its ban on cell-based meat before the Commission or member states could assess whether it violated internal market rules. The Commission has closed the TRIS (technical regulation information system) procedure – a transparency directive intended to stop regulatory barriers arising within the EU’s internal market – regarding the Italian law, which bans the production and marketing of cell-based meat . The law, which also prevents the use of terms such as ‘salami’ or ‘steak’ for plant-based products, introduced fines of up to €60,000 for each violation. The TRIS procedure requires that member states and the Commission should be given the opportunity to comment on any draft law that might hinder the European single market before it can be passed by a national parliament. However, the Italian Government adopted the law before this process could happen, even though objections had been raised from within the bloc. Since the Italian law was notified via the TRIS procedure after being passed by lawmakers, the Commission was forced to close the procedure, stating that the process had been violated and indicating that national courts could declare the law unenforceable. To expedite approval, the Italian Government withdrew an earlier TRIS notification in October, despite questions about the ban’s legality and widespread misinformation on cell-based meat in the legislative debate. By proceeding with the ban, the Italian Government risked rendering it unenforceable, in accordance with the case law of the Court of Justice of the EU. The Good Food Institute (GFI) said that the Italian Government misinterpreted the Commission’s announcement, falsely claiming that the process had confirmed the law’s compatibility with the single market. However, the EU executive’s spokeswoman for the internal market, Johanna Bernsel, clarified during a press briefing that the closure of the TRIS process “was done on a procedural basis because the law was passed in violation of the suspensive terms of the TRIS regulation”. Francesca Gallelli, public affairs consultant at GFI Europe, said: “The Italian Government wanted to ban cultivated meat as fast as possible – but, as the Commission has pointed out, it may have rendered its own law unenforceable as a result. If a company were to receive EU regulatory approval and start selling cultivated meat in Italy, any effort to stop them could be dismissed in court.” She continued: “Italy should now change course. This is an opportunity to launch a more balanced and evidence-based discussion, seeking the views of cultivated meat researchers and experts whose voices have so far been excluded from the Italian debate.”

Israeli life science research company ProFuse Technology has launched ProFuse-B8, a spontaneously immortalised bovine myoblast cell line available for licensing. This innovative development marks a significant milestone in the cell-based meat industry, with the potential to boost the efficient cultivation of protein-rich muscle tissue. ProFuse-B8 has been extensively researched and tested over the last two years. The cell line provides cell-based meat producers with a “stable and robust” foundation for the development of scalable, repeatable and cost-competitive production processes. Notably, B8 achieves these benefits without using genetic modification technology – positively impacting consumer preferences and acceptance. In January, the company unveiled ProFuse-S1, a media supplement engineered to accelerate and enhance skeletal muscle research across various sectors including cell-based meat. When B8 is integrated with ProFuse-S1 muscle differentiation media, supplement muscle tissue production is accelerated, which offers increased efficiency within shorter production times. ProFuse Technology is also working to develop additional muscle production-optimised cell lines tailored for the cultivation of chicken, pork, lamb and fish. Tamar Eigler-Hirsh, CTO and co-founder at ProFuse Technology, said: "We are thrilled to introduce ProFuse-B8 as a transformative solution for the cultivated meat industry. Our dedication to innovation and productivity is evident in the development of this breakthrough cell line, and we are confident it will shape the future of cell-based protein production." #ProFuseTechnology #Israel

Campden BRI and tissue engineering and bioreactor specialist, Cellular Agriculture, have won funding for a project that aims to optimise, test and validate the scalability of hollow-fibre bioreactors to produce cell-based meat products.    The grant from Innovate UK and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is part of a £15.6 million investment in 32 projects within novel low-emission food production systems.    Building on proof-of-concept work led by Cellular Agriculture, the project aims to develop a hollow-fibre bioreactor system prototype demonstrator that will be optimised at Campden BRI's facilities.     Campden BRI will then collaborate with Cellular Agriculture to test production samples and develop food safety, quality, regulatory, economic and sustainability assessments.    Craig Leadley, technology fellow at Campden BRI, commented: “By supporting Cellular Agriculture in taking their cutting-edge cultivated meat production system from the biotechnology space into the food industry, this exciting project puts us at the forefront of innovative food research. The innovate UK-funded project will enable us to support Cellular Agriculture to further develop and test their system so that they can commercialise their technology to food manufacturers and cultivated meat companies.”     Marianne Ellis, CTO of Cellular Agriculture, added: “The cultivated meat industry is still in early stages and although processes have been tested and validated, scaling the technology at low-cost remains a challenge. However, hollow-fibre bioreactors have increased cell density and cost-efficiency, lower emissions, and more compact design compared to other state-of-the-art bioreactors, such as stirred tank or fixed-bed bioreactors.”    “These advantages give hollow-fibre bioreactor systems the potential to facilitate the commercial viability of cultivated meat production."  #CampdenBRI #CellularAgriculture #US

Scientists at California-based food-tech company Yali Bio have produced a critical component of human breast milk from yeast. To create the fat, Yali Bio researchers used precision fermentation to coax the yeast into producing the human bioidentical fat. Specifically, they produced a fat called OPO (chemically described as 1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoyl-glycerol or 1,3-dioleolyl-2-palmitate), which is naturally found in high concentrations in breast milk. OPO helps infants to absorb nutrients and is critical to infant health. Currently, OPO is one of the key nutritional differences between breast milk and infant formula, as there is no economical source of pure OPO available to the producers of formula. Instead, formulas today rely on fats from vegetable oils or cow’s milk, neither of which contain optimal levels of OPO. Yulin Lu, CEO of Yali Bio and who previously held positions at Impossible Foods and Eat Just, said: “We are at a pivotal point in the growth of our company, which is transitioning from a platform innovator with strong scientific proofs of concept, into a business that can serve multiple markets in food and nutrition”. In January, Yali Bio hired Lorin DeBonte to be its new senior vice president of innovation. DeBonte was previously R&D leader at Cargill. Lu continued: “With his highly accomplished career commercialising edible fats and lipids at Cargill, DeBonte will lead our innovation team and continue to develop our core competencies in ingredient innovation and applications, as well as our pipeline of partnerships”. DeBonte commented: “I am excited to join Yali Bio and to leverage our precision fermentation platform to create the next generation of fat and lipid ingredients. Our platform will help the food and nutrition industry meet consumer expectations in sustainable sourcing, plant-derived foods and wellness. I look forward to working with our customers to develop their next formulations with our tailored fat product lines." #YaliBio #US