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How to Cultivate Meat
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How to Cultivate Meat
NEEDS
PURPOSE
Nutrients
NEEDS
PURPOSE
Nutrients
Amino acids
Building proteins
NEEDS
PURPOSE
Nutrients
Amino acids
Building proteins
Glucose
Fuel
NEEDS
PURPOSE
Nutrients
Amino acids
Building proteins
Glucose
Fuel
Oxygen
Releasing energy
from fuel
NEEDS
PURPOSE
Nutrients
Amino acids
Building proteins
Glucose
Fuel
Oxygen
Releasing energy
from fuel
Immunity
Protection
NEEDS
PURPOSE
Nutrients
Amino acids
Building proteins
Glucose
Fuel
Oxygen
Releasing energy
from fuel
Immunity
Protection
Waste removal
Preventing harmful buildup
NEEDS
PURPOSE
Nutrients
Amino acids
Building proteins
Glucose
Fuel
Oxygen
Releasing energy
from fuel
Immunity
Protection
Waste removal
Preventing harmful buildup
Suitable temperature
Proper functioning
Amino acids
Building proteins
Amino acid availability
Cell growth regulation
Cellular response
Biochemical signals
Amino acid availability
Cellular response
Biochemical signals
Amino acid availability
Growth factors
Cellular response
Biochemical signals
Amino acid availability
Growth factors
Hormones
Cellular response
Biochemical signals
Amino acid availability
Growth factors
Hormones
Neurotransmitters
Cellular response
Biochemical signals
Amino acid availability
Growth factors
Hormones
Neurotransmitters
etc...
Cellular response
Biochemical signal
Mechanical signal
Cellular response
Biochemical signal
Mechanical signal
Electrical signal
Signals A
Response A
Signals B
Response B
Muscle cells
Fat cells
muscle lineage
fat cell lineage
Unspecialized cells
fuse
myogenic
progenitor
satellite
cells
myoblast
myocyte
myotube
muscle
fibre
mesenchymal
progenitor
adipogenic
progenitor
preadipocyte
adipocyte
epiblast
mesoderm
🥚
zygote
Human Embryo Day9 · Panzer VI-II · Wikimedia Commons · Unmodified
CC BY-SA 3.0 · creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
🥚
zygote
mesoderm
fuse
myogenic
progenitor
satellite
cells
myoblast
myocyte
myotube
muscle
fibre
mesenchymal
progenitor
adipogenic
progenitor
preadipocyte
adipocyte
epiblast
Let's cultivate meat!
🥚
zygote
mesoderm
fuse
myogenic
progenitor
satellite
cells
myoblast
myocyte
myotube
muscle
fibre
mesenchymal
progenitor
adipogenic
progenitor
preadipocyte
adipocyte
epiblast
The dilemma
Proliferation
Differentiation
The dilemma
Proliferation
Differentiation
Zygote
The dilemma
Proliferation
Differentiation
Zygote
Muscle fibre
The dilemma
Proliferation
Differentiation
Zygote
Muscle fibre
ESC
The dilemma
Proliferation
Differentiation
Zygote
Muscle fibre
ESC
Satellite cells /
myoblast progenitor cells
The dilemma
Proliferation
Differentiation
Zygote
Muscle fibre
ESC
Satellite cells /
myoblast progenitor cells
Immortalized cells
The dilemma
Proliferation
Differentiation
Zygote
Muscle fibre
ESC
Satellite cells /
myoblast progenitor cells
Immortalized cells
iPSC
Our biopsy sample
What goes into the culture medium?
Sugars for energy
Amino acids, lipids and
vitamins
Growth factors
Hormones and supplements
Salts and pH buffers
Steps in scale-up
Dish
Flask
Bioreactor
Inside the bioreactor
Steps in scale-up
Dish
Flask
Bioreactor
Expansion
Cell count
1,000
50 billion
100 billion
150 billion
200 billion
0
7
14
21
28
Population doublings
Expansion
Cell count
1,000
50 billion
100 billion
150 billion
200 billion
0
7
14
21
28
Population doublings
Expansion
Haach et al. (2025) · Frontiers in Nutrition · Figure 5D (cropped) · CC BY
doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1648935
What else can the scaffold provide?
Structural support
Spatial organization
Mechanical signalling
Biochemical signalling
Texture
Structural support ↔ Transport
Same load
More support
Less transport
Same load
More transport
Less support
How do we guide the cells
towards muscle?
How do we guide the cells towards muscle?
By changing the signals they
receive
From precursors to muscle
Myoblasts
Myocytes
Myotube
Differentiate
Fuse
Can proliferate
Exit the cell cycle
Many nuclei, one cell
And what about fat?
Adipogenic progenitors
Adipocytes
Different signals
A separate differentiation programme
Maturation
Myotubes
More mature muscle fibres
Mature
More contractile proteins · Organized muscle structure
Suitable medium · Mechanical cues · Time
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