Systems and methods for assembling hierarchically structured fibrous materials and uses thereof

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing densely packed fibers to produce composite fibrous materials having a hierarchical structure are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the methods disclosed herein can include dispersing highly packed fibers to incorporate connecting materials and / or additives that enable the assembly of hierarchically structured fibrous materials exhibiting advanced properties and / or characteristics. For example, in some embodiments, the methods disclosed herein can include separation and / or disaggregation of densely packed fibers produced by rotary jet spinning (RJS) to produce evenly spaced fibers. The evenly spaced fibers can be subsequently dried and exposed to one or more solutions containing connective materials or additives. The resulting material can be further processed by exposure to different temperatures, and pressure to form composite materials. Optionally, in some embodiments the resulting composite materials can be sterilized and coated with an extracellular matrix or be used to culture adherent animal cells.

Description

Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WD 344180-2065SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSEMBLING HIERARCHICALLY STRUCTURED FIBROUS MATERIALSAND USES THEREOFCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 749,323, filed on January 1, 2025, and titled “Systems And Methods For Assembling Hierarchically Structured Fibrous Materials And Uses Thereof,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods to process densely packed fibers to produce hierarchically structured fibrous composite materials having predetermined physical and / or chemical properties.GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

[0003] This invention was made with U.S government support under Grant 2303460 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The U.S government has certain rights in this invention.BACKGROUND

[0004] Fiber composite materials having nanometer to micrometer size hierarchical structures exhibit exceptional physical and / or chemical properties which makes them suitable for a wide range of applications in medicine, energy storage, sensors, filtration, textiles, and / or catalysis, among others. These materials can include fibers assembled, grouped, and / or oriented according to various morphologies and incorporating internal features and / or secondary components that impart specific chemical and / or physical properties. Examples of fiber composite materials having hierarchical structures can be readily found in nature in for example, silk, cellulose, and / or biological tissues such as bones, tendons, and muscles. Synthetic materials that mimic the hierarchical structures of materials found in nature have also been produced by prior art synthetic techniques and / or methods such as template synthesis, phase separation, chemical vapor deposition, melt blowing, electrospinning, and / or three-dimensional (3-D) printing. Although some of these synthesis techniques may be capable of327449891 1Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065producing fibrous materials exhibiting controlled characteristics such as fiber diameter, length, porosity, and fiber orientation, they fail to produce fiber composite materials displaying a wide variety of hierarchical structures from different feedstocks (e.g., different fibrous starting materials), and at sufficiently high production rates (e.g., high throughput) and low cost. Consequently, there is a need for synthetic methods that enable the fabrication of fiber composite materials from flexible feedstocks, exhibiting a wide range of hierarchical structures and advanced properties at large scale and low cost.SUMMARY

[0005] Systems and methods for processing an input fibrous material to produce a hierarchically structured fiber composite material are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method comprises exposing, at a dispersion unit, an input fibrous material to a dispersing solution to produce a disperse material. The method further comprises drying the dispersed material to produce a dried material, exposing the dried material to a coating solution to produce a coated material, and assembling the coated material to produce a fiber composite material. In some embodiments, a system comprises a dispersing unit, a drying unit, and a coating unit. The dispersing unit includes a surface configured to accommodate an input fibrous material along an orientation. The dispersing unit also defines a tilting angle that allows directing a dispersing solution to the input fibrous material such that the dispersing solution permeates the input fibrous material to produce a dispersed material. The drying unit is disposed downstream to the dispersing unit and is configured to heat the dispersed material to produce a dried material. The coating solution is disposed downstream from the drying unit and is configured to direct a coating solution to the dried material. In some embodiments, a method for preparing a fiber composite material comprises disposing, on a tray including a corrugated surface area, an input fibrous material in a first orientation along a length of the tray. The method further comprises directing a dispersing solution towards the input fibrous material to soak the input fibrous material and form a dispersed material. The method further comprises removing moisture from the dispersed material in a drying unit to produce a dried material and exposing at least a portion of the dried material to a coating solution to form a coated material. The method further comprises exposing the coated material to a saline solution such that species present in the costed material undergo at least one of gelification or crosslinking reactions upon contact with ionic species included in the saline solution to produce the fiber composite material.327449891 2Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WD 344180-2065BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a process for assembling hierarchically structured fiber composite materials from an input fibrous material, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIGS. 2A-2D show exemplary corrugated surfaces included in a dispersing unit, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIGS. 2E-2G show components of exemplary dispersing units, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIGS. 3A and 3B show exemplary images of an input fibrous material used to fabricate a hierarchically structured fiber composite material, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIGS. 4A and 4B show exemplary images of a dispersed material produced from the input fibrous material shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIGS. 5 A and 5B show exemplary images of a dried material produced from the input fibrous material shown in FIGS. 3 A and 3B, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 6A illustrates a hierarchically structured fiber composite material produced from an input fibrous material, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 6B illustrates a composite fibrous material produced by an infiltration procedure, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 7 shows an example method and / or process for assembling a hierarchically structured fiber composite material from an input fibrous material, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Fiber composite materials having nanometer or micrometer size hierarchical structures have received increased amount of attention in recent years owing to their exceptional physical and / or chemical properties. These materials can exhibit complex morphologies in which individual fibers are coated with connecting materials and / or additives and grouped according to specific spatial arrangements forming bundles of fibers which are327449891 3Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065then assembled into larger and more complex structures (e.g., helical, beads-on-a-string, honeycomb, or core-shell structures). Hierarchically structured fiber composite materials can exhibit unique properties such as high strength, toughness, elasticity, viscoelastic behavior, electrical conductivity, among others. Hierarchically structured fiber composite materials can be commonly found in nature. For example, bone tissue can include precisely organized hierarchical structures in which nanometer-sized hydroxyapatite crystals are periodically deposited within gap zones of collagen fibrils producing composites that can dissipate energy and impart improved resistance to fracture. Silk fibrous materials such as spider silkworm can have a structure comprising a protein core of tightly packed nanofibrils disposed within a protein matrix, and surrounded by a thin glycoprotein rich skin, which imparts superior properties to the silk such as improved strength, elasticity, toughness, and low density. Synthetic (e.g., man-made) fiber composite materials that mimic the hierarchical structures of those materials found in nature can be fabricated by some techniques and / or methods such as electrospinning, and / or additive manufacturing (e.g., 3-D printing). These composite materials, which can also be referred to as fiber composite analogs, can be made from naturally occurring polymeric materials such as methyl cellulose, some synthetic polymeric materials including, for example polystyrene (PS), and / or polypropylene (PP), and non-polymeric materials such as ceramics and metals. These fiber composite analogs can be used in multiple applications ranging from filtration, drug delivery, catalysis, energy storage, reinforced materials, medicine, and food science.

[0016] Although in some instances the synthesis techniques and / or methods disclosed above may be capable of producing fiber composite analogs with controlled fiber diameter, porosity, fiber orientation, and specific hierarchical structures, their widespread implementation has been significantly limited due to the inability of these techniques to produce fiber composite analogs from a wide range of starting materials (e.g., flexible material feedstocks), at large scales (e.g., large manufacturing volumes), and at a low cost. The majority of existing methods for fabricating fiber composite analogs require use of complex and costly manufacturing machinery such as 3-D printers, which inherently have low rate of production (low throughput) and high cost. As a result, their implementation in applications that require producing large volumes at a high production rate and low cost remains unattainable. This is particularly true for applications such as the fabrication of food products that include compounds known as binding agents, or “binders,” that hold together other components. Common binders include protein isolates, methyl cellulose, carrageenan, and modified starches327449891 4Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065that are added to food products to improve thickening, gelation, and textural properties. Current methods for the production of textured food products mix these binders with proteins, flavors, and other materials to make a single input mixture that is then formed and texturized. High-moisture extrusion (HME) is currently the primary method for fabricating a variety of food products with a fibrous texture at high throughput and low cost. In HME, ingredients that include proteins and binders are mixed and transformed into a semi-solid continuous fluid using heat, shear, pressure, and moisture. The resulting products cool as blocks of textured proteins with somewhat fibrous / layered textures, where the binder is distributed throughout the product. These binders hold the product together, reducing crumbliness and disintegration. However, these products can lack nutritious qualities and fail to replicate the hierarchical structures that provide unique organoleptic properties to various food products.

[0017] Food products such as chips, pretzels, baker confections, crackers, cereals, jerky, protein bars, fruit snacks, plant-based and / or cultivated meats may include complex hierarchical structures that provide their unique organoleptic properties. For example, meat contains muscle, fats, and other tissues that are all held together by connective tissues. More specifically, muscle has a hierarchical structure, where each muscle fiber is surrounded by a semi-permeable lipid bilayer membrane called the sarcolemma. Muscle fibers are grouped together to form muscle fascicles, and muscle fascicles are grouped together and encased by a fibrous tissue called the epimysium to form muscles. Some types of connective tissues in meat, like ligaments and tendons remain tough after cooking and are often removed from the meat cut before the meat is cooked. Other connective tissues like the ones that coat muscle fibers are essential contributors to meat’s organoleptic properties like toughness and succulence. For example, collagen is a common protein found in meat, which sheaths elongated muscle fibers and breaks down into gelatin during cooking (i.e., braising, or slow cooking). This type of connective tissue contributes to several key attributes of meats that include water holding capacity, cooking properties, and succulence. For example, the tenderness of meat is related to the distribution of connective tissue throughout the meat, and juiciness of meat products is related to the water holding capacity. HME products do not consist of individual fibers and therefore do not contain binders located between fibers or bundles of fibers such that the binders resemble the interstitial connective tissues found in meat. Consequently, HME products do not reproduce the hierarchical structure of muscle and connective tissue found in meats. Instead, HME proteins, binders, and flavors are randomly distributed throughout the products in contrast to the spatial segregation found in natural meats where connective tissues327449891 5Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WD 344180-2065(e.g., binders) are located between fibers and between fiber bundles. These characteristics severely limit the ability for HME products (e.g., plant-based meat analogues) to replicate meats.

[0018] Alternative methods to produce plant-based meat analogues include 3-D printing and fiber spinning (e.g., wet spinning, rotary jet spinning, electro spinning, and / or solution blow spinning). Although these methods may facilitate fabricating fiber composite analogs resembling some of the structural characteristics of meat, they lack the ability to produce fiber composite analogs form diverse material feedstocks at high throughput and at low-cost with the binders coating individual fibers and groups of fibers recreating the hierarchical structure of connective tissue found in meat. Compared to the HME process, 3-D printers have higher capital costs, higher complexity, and lower experimental throughput that scales inversely with product feature size. Therefore, production of individual fibers with diameters comparable to meat muscle fibers (20 microns to 200 microns) at high throughput and low cost using 3-D printers has remained unattainable. Similarly, wet spinning has been investigated for the production of fiber composite analogs such as plant-based meat analogues. During wet spinning, fibrous materials are produced by a continuous process in which individual fibers are first extruded from a stationary nozzle, then dipped sequentially in one or more solutions to coat the fibers with desired connecting materials and / or additives and finally spooled forming a yam. These type of processes impose specific requirements on the type of fibers that can be produced (e.g., the fibers need to have a specific tensile strength, diameter, elasticity, and other physical / chemical properties in order to endure the process without breaking up). This results in limited types of fibers that can be produced. Additionally, the extrusion and coating of individual fibers results in low throughput, which ultimately precludes their implementations at a large scale.

[0019] The present disclosure provides systems and methods for fabricating a wide variety of fiber composites incorporating connecting materials and / or additives that enable the assembly of hierarchically structured fibrous materials (e.g., fiber composite analogs) with advanced properties and / or characteristics at high volumes (high throughput) and low cost. In some embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein include processing input fibrous materials fabricated via a rotary jet spinning (RJS) process to generate a dispersed material in which individual fibers can be rapidly, and cost effectively coated with connective materials and / or additives and then assembled into different hierarchical structures producing fiber composite analogs. The RJS process generates blocks of oriented fibrous materials by327449891 6Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065extruding an input solution with a rotating spinneret at high rates (-10,000 RPM) producing fibers at high rates (e.g., 10 to about 500 meters per second per spinneret hole / orifice). In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein can facilitate high throughput fabrication of fiber composite analogs having complex hierarchical structures such as helical, beads-on-a-string, honeycomb, or core-shell structures that can be used on a wide range of applications. In some embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein facilitate fabricating a wide variety of food products with hierarchical structures, including, but not limited to, chips, nuts, crackers, plant-based and / or cultivated meats, granola, jerky, pretzels, fruit snacks such as fruit leather, layered deserts like mille-feuille, trail mix, protein bars, dried food products, baked products, pudding, dips, high protein snacks, and the like. For example, in some embodiments the systems and methods disclosed herein facilitate fabricating plantbased meat analogues incorporating connecting materials and / or additives that can be assembled into hierarchical structures that mimic the hierarchical structures found in meats.

[0020] As used in this specification, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, the term “a member” is intended to mean a single member or a combination of members, “a material” is intended to mean one or more materials, or a combination thereof.

[0021] The term “substantially” when used in connection with “cylindrical,” “linear,” and / or other geometric relationships is intended to convey that the structure so defined is nominally cylindrical, linear or the like. As one example, a portion of a support member that is described as being “substantially linear” is intended to convey that, although linearity of the portion is desirable, some non-linearity can occur in a “substantially linear” portion. Such nonlinearity can result from manufacturing tolerances, or other practical considerations (such as, for example, the pressure or force applied to the support member). Thus, a geometric construction modified by the term “substantially” includes such geometric properties within a tolerance of plus or minus 5% of the stated geometric construction. For example, a “substantially linear” portion is a portion that defines an axis or center line that is within plus or minus 5% of being linear.

[0022] As used herein, the term “set” and “plurality” can refer to multiple features or a singular feature with multiple parts. For example, when referring to a set of fibers, the set of fibers can be considered as one fiber with multiple portions, or the set of fibers can be considered as multiple, distinct fibers. Thus, a set of portions or a plurality of portions may include multiple portions that are either continuous or discontinuous from each other. A327449891 7Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065plurality of particles or a plurality of materials can also be fabricated from multiple items that are produced separately and are later joined together (e.g., via mixing, an adhesive, or any suitable method).

[0023] As used herein, “plant” or “plant-based” can include any material used for food production that is not animal-derived. In other words, “plant” or “plant-based” are not limited to organisms in the plantae kingdom. For example, “plant-based scaffolding” described herein should be understood to include fungal-derived products, such as mycelium or plant-like protists, such as seaweed or algae.

[0024] As used herein, the term polysaccharide refers to a carbohydrate whose molecular structure consists of a number of sugar molecules (monosaccharides) bonded and / or linked together. In some embodiments, the polysaccharides disclosed herein can be and / or include the polysaccharide can include cellulose, curdlan, starch, glycogen, sucrose, dextrin, hemicellulose, polydextrose, inulin, glucans, beta-glucan, pectin, psyllium husk mucilage, galactomannans, gums, beta-mannan, carob, fenugreek, guar gum, tara gum, methylcellulose, glucomannan gum, konjac gum, gum acacia, karaya gum, pullalan, tragacanth gum, arabinoxylan gum, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan, trehalose, or any combination thereof.

[0025] Now referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a process 100 for assembling hierarchically structured fiber composite materials (e.g., fiber composite analogs) from an input fibrous material, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a system that can be used to carry out the process 100, with the system including a dispersing unit 110, a drying unit 120, a coating unit 130, and an assembly unit 140. Optionally, in some embodiments the system can also include a sterilization unit 150, as schematically shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 1. The process 100 can be configured to receive an input fibrous material 101 at the dispersing unit 110 and expose it to a dispersing solution 111 with the purpose of separating individual fibers included in the input fibrous material 101 producing a dispersed material 102. The dispersed material 102 can be further processed by: (1) drying, at the drying unit 120, the dispersed material 102 to remove moisture and produce a dried material 103, (2) exposing, at the coating unit 130, individual fibers included in the dried material 103 to a coating solution 131 to produce a coated material 104, and (3) assembling, at the assembly unit 140, the coated material 104 into a fiber composite material 105 having a desired hierarchical structure (e.g., a fiber composite analog). The coating solution 131 employed in the coating unit 130 can be any suitable fluid stream327449891 8Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065comprising one or more connecting material(s) and / or additives which can coat individual fibers, groups of fibers (e.g., bundles of fibers), and / or be disposed between fibers and / or bundles of fibers, generating a composite material that can be further assembled into specific hierarchical structures at the assembly unit 140, as further described herein. In such embodiments in which the system includes an optional sterilization unit 150, the process 100 can be configured to receive and process the input fibrous material 101 to produce the dried material 103, and then direct the dried material 103 to the sterilization unit 150 to remove, and / or deactivate (e.g., kill), any living microorganisms present in the dried material 103 such as fungi, bacteria, spores, viruses, and other unicellular eukaryotic producing a sterilized material 106. Alternatively, in some implementations the process 100 can be configured to process the input fibrous material 101 to produce a fiber composite material 105 having a desired hierarchical structure (e.g., a fiber composite analog); and then direct the fiber composite material 105 to the sterilization unit 150 to produce a sterilized material 106, as further disclosed herein.

[0026] The dispersing unit 110 can be and / or include any suitable structure defining one or more surface(s) on which the input fibrous material 101 can be disposed on with the purpose of exposing it to the dispersing solution 111. The dispersing solution 111 can be contacted with the input fibrous material 101 to overcome the surface energy of the input fibrous material 101, penetrate fibers included in the input fibrous material 101, disaggregate and / or reduce the density of fibers included in input fibrous material 101, and orient the fibers along a direction of flow of the dispersing solution 111. As a result, exposure of the input fibrous material 101 to the dispersing solution 111 produces a dispersed material 102. In some embodiments, the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more panels, sheets, plates, trays, or the like, which define a flat a surface in which the input fibrous material 101 can be disposed on. The input fibrous material 101 can be any suitable material produced by a process and / or method capable of generating individual fibers. In some embodiments, the fibrous material 101 can be produced by a wet spinning process and / or method. In some embodiments, the fibrous material 101 can be produced by an electro spinning, process and / or method. In some embodiments, the fibrous material 101 can be produced by a solution blow spinning process. In some embodiments, the fibrous material 101 can be produced by any suitable method capable of producing fibrous materials such as 3D printing, electrospinning, phase separation, selfassembly, decellularized tissue production, freeze-drying, supercritical fluid processing, gas foaming, solvent casting and particulate leaching, salt leaching, nanofiber production from327449891 9Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WD 344180-2065electrospinning, injection molding, microfluidics, laser micromachining, robocasting, photolithography, rapid prototyping, or the like. In some embodiments, the fibrous material 101 can be produced by a rotary jet spinning (RJS) process. Examples of fibrous materials 101 produced by an RJS process are described in U.S Patent No. 10,519,569 titled “Immersed Rotary Jet Spinning Devices (IRJS) and Uses Thereof,” issued December 31, 2019 (the ’569 patent); and U.S Patent No. 12,139,821 titled “Focused Rotary Jet Spinning Devices and Methods of Use Thereof,” issued November 12, 2024 (the ’821 patent). The disclosures of each of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0027] In some embodiments, the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113, which define one or more corrugated surfaces with patterns, textures, or the like, in which the input fibrous material 101 can be disposed on. FIGS. 2A-2D show examples of corrugated surfaces that may be included in the one or more panels, sheets, plates, trays 113 of the dispersing unit 110. In some embodiments the corrugated surfaces can include a plurality of features such as channels, trenches, ducts, conduits, and / or canals 115, disposed along a desired direction and / or orientation such that fibers included in the input fibrous material 101 can be aligned parallel to the features, and thus assume the desired direction and / or orientation, as shown schematically in FIGS. 2A-2C. In some embodiments, the channels, trenches, crevices, ducts, conduits, and / or canals 115 can have and / or be a linear or rectilinear shape (e.g., lines) with the channels 115 oriented parallel to each other and along a longitudinal direction (e.g., along a length of the panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113), as shown in FIG. 2B. In some embodiments, the channels, trenches, ducts, conduits, and / or canals 115 can have a sinusoidal shape with the channels oriented parallel to each other and along a longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG. 2C. In some embodiments, the channels, trenches, ducts, conduits, and / or canals 155 can have any suitable shape and be oriented according to a desired direction and / or orientation. In some embodiments, the corrugated surfaces can include a plurality of features such as ridges, creases, crinkles, and / or corrugations 116, as shown in FIG. 2D, disposed along a desired direction and / or orientation such that fibers included in the input fibrous material 101 can be align parallel to the features, and thus assume the desired direction and / or orientation. In some embodiments the ridges, creases, crinkles, and / or corrugations 116 can have and / or be a linear or rectilinear shape (e.g., lines), a sinusoidal shape, or any other suitable shape, with the ridges oriented parallel to each other and along a longitudinal direction (e.g., along a length of the panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113). In some embodiments, the corrugated surfaces can include a plurality of features including a327449891 10Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065combination of channels and ridges forming a desired pattern. Alternatively, in some embodiments the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113, which define one or more flat surfaces.

[0028] In some embodiments, the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113, disposed and / or arranged defining a tilting angle a with respect to a stationary surface in which the dispersing unit 110 is disposed and / or placed (e.g., a table, bench, or the floor), as schematically shown in FIGS. 2E and 2F. In some embodiments, the tilting angle a can be selected to facilitate flowing the dispersing solution 111 such that the dispersing solution 111 can be placed in intimate contact with the fibers of the input fibrous material 101. In other words, the dispersing unit can be disposed and / or oriented to allow the dispersing solution 111 to contact the input fibrous material 101 at a specific and / or desired incident angle a to promote soaking, permeating, and / or wetting the input fibrous material 101 with the dispersing solution 111. In some implementations, the angle a can additionally provide a flow path for removing excess dispersing solution 111 which may not have soaked permeated, or wetted, the input fibrous material 101. For example, in some embodiments, a user and / or subject can manually dispose and / or place the trays 113 (with the input fibrous material 101 disposed on the trays 113) at a predetermined angle a with respect to a table, bench, or structure such as a sink in which the dispersing unit 110 is accommodated. The trays 113 can then be exposed to a source of the dispersing solution 111 such that the input fibrous material 101 can contact the dispersing solution 111 and form the dispersed material 102, as further disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the input fibrous material 101 can be disposed in a first orientation and a first stream of the dispersing solution 111 can be directed to the input fibrous material 101 such that the first stream of the dispersing solution 111 contacts a first portion of the input fibrous material 101 to promote soaking, permeating, and / or wetting the first portion of the input fibrous material 101. The input fibrous material 101 can then disposed in a second orientation different from the first orientation to direct a second stream of the dispersing solution 111 to the input fibrous material 101 such that the second stream of the dispersing solution 111 contacts a second portion of the input fibrous material 101 to promote soaking, permeating, and / or wetting the second portion of the input fibrous material 101. In some embodiments, the first and second stream of the dispersing solution 111 collectively soak, permeate, and / or wet the input fibrous material 101 to produce the dispersed material 102. In some embodiments, the input fibrous material 101 can be transitioned between the first and the second orientation by rotating the trays 113 along an axis positioned and / or oriented on a327449891 11Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065central region of the trays 113 along a width of the trays 113 (e.g., similar to the axis AA shown in FIGS. 2B and 2E). In some embodiments, when the dispersing solution 111 is dispensed from a fixed and / or stationary source (e.g., a plurality of jets 114 disposed at a fix and / or stationary position) the input fibrous material 101 can be transitioned between the first and the second orientation by rotating the trays 113 about an axis normal to the surface of the tray 113 on which the input fibrous material 101 is disposed (e.g., similar to the axis BB shown in FIG.2B) according to a clock-wise or an anti-clockwise direction. In some embodiments, the angle a can be at least about 15 degrees, at least about 18 degrees, at least about 20 degrees, at least about 22 degrees, at least about 24 degrees, at least about 26 degrees, at least about 28 degrees, or at least about 30 degrees, inclusive of all ranges and values therebetween. In some embodiments, the angle a can be no more than about 30 degrees, no more than about 27 degrees, no more than about 24 degrees, no more than about 21 degrees, no more than about 18 degrees, or no more than about 15 degrees, inclusive of all ranges and values therebetween.

[0029] Combinations of the above referenced ranges for the tilting angle a are also possible (e.g., an angle a of at least about 25 degrees to less than about 30 degrees, or at least about 16 degrees to less than about 29 degrees).

[0030] In some embodiments, the dispersing unit 110 can be designed for processing the input fibrous material 101 in a batch manner. For example, in some implementations the dispersing unit 110 can include a number of panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113 sized and shaped to accommodate a predetermined amount of input fibrous material 101 for batch processing. Alternatively, in some implementations the dispersing unit 110 can include a conveyor belt providing a moving surface in which the input fibrous material 101 can be disposed on for continuous processing. FIG. 2F shows an example dispersing unit 110 comprising a conveyor belt 112 configured to accommodate the input fibrous material 101 for its continuous processing. The conveyor belt 112 can provide a surface in which a plurality of panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113 can be mounted and / or disposed on to facilitate accommodating the input fibrous material 101. Alternatively, the conveyor belt 112 can directly accommodate the input fibrous material 101 without the need for a plurality of panels, sheets, plates, and / or trays 113. In such embodiments, the conveyor belt 112 may define flat surfaces and / or corrugated surface for aligning and / or oriented fibers included in the input fibrous material 101.

[0031] In some embodiments, the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more jets, nozzles, sprinklers, spouts, orifices, or the like, designed to direct a flow of dispersing solution 111327449891 12Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065towards the input fibrous material 101 such that the dispersing solution 111 contacts the input fibrous material 101. The one or more jets, nozzles, sprinklers, spouts, orifices, or the like, can be oriented in such a way that the dispersing solution 111 can penetrate the input fibrous material 101 and cause and / or promote dispersion and re-orientation of fibers included in the input fibrous material 101. For example, in some embodiments the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more trays 113 containing an input fibrous material 101, with the trays 113 placed at an angle a with respect to a table, bench, or structure such as a sink in which the dispersing unit 110 is accommodated, and a plurality of jets 114 located at a predetermined distance “t / ” from one or more trays 113 on which the input fibrous material 101 can be disposed on (e.g., a distance normal and / or perpendicular to the trays 113), as shown schematically in FIGS. 2E and 2F. The one or more jets 114 can be located at a distance “t / ” from the trays 113 and / or the surfaces on which the input fibrous material 101 are disposed such that the dispersing solution 111 can contact the input fibrous material 101 with sufficient velocity and / or kinetic energy to facilitate permeating and / or penetrating the input fibrous material 101. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance “t / ” can be selected to facilitate permeating and / or penetrating the input fibrous material 101 without causing displacement and / or movement of the input fibrous material 101 along the surface in which the input fibrous material 101 is disposed on. In other words, in some embodiments, the predetermined distance “t / ” can be selected, at least in part, to provide adequate contact and soaking of the input fibrous material 101 while preventing that the flow of the dispersing solution 111 physically pushes and / or moves the input fibrous material 101 along the surface on which the input fibrous material 101 is disposed (e.g., the one or more trays oriented at an angle a). In that way, the bulk of the input fibrous material 101 remains stationary while individual fibers included in the input fibrous material 101 become aligned along a direction of flow of the dispersing solution 111 and / or along the patterned surface (e.g., the corrugated surface) included in the dispersing unit 110. In some embodiments, the jets 114 can be located and / or oriented such that a flow of the dispersing solution 111 reaches the input fibrous material 101 at a specific reference point with respect to the trays 113 and / or the input fibrous material 101. For example, in some embodiments the jets 114 can be located at a distance “t / ” from the trays 113 and oriented in such a way that the dispersing solution 111 reaches the input fibrous material 101 at a distance “e” from an end portion of the trays 113, as shown in FIG. 2E. Alternatively, in some embodiments the jets 114 can be oriented such the dispersing solution 111 reaches the input fibrous material 101 at a distance and / or length “e” from an end portion327449891 13Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065of the input fibrous material 101 (e.g., a distance and / or length “e” measured from an end portion of the input fibrous material 101). In some embodiments, the distance and / or length “e” can be about 1 / 3 of the total average length of the input fibrous material 101 measured from a first end of the input fibrous material 101. In some embodiments, the distance and / or length “e” can be about 1 / 16, 1 / 10, 1 / 8, 1 / 5, 14, or / i (inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween) of the total average length of the input fibrous material 101 measured from a first end of the input fibrous material. In some embodiments, the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more jets, nozzles, sprinklers, spouts, orifices, or the like, configured to be stationary (e.g., jets disposed at a fixed position and orientation with respect to the one or more surfaces in which the fibrous material 101 is disposed on. For example, as shown in FIG. 2F, in some embodiments the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more jets 114 disposed stationary at a distanced “t / ” from the trays 113 being moved by the conveyor belt 112. Alternatively, in some embodiments the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more jets, nozzles, sprinklers, spouts, orifices, or the like, configured to be movable along a path to facilitate expose the input fibrous material 101 to the dispersing solution 111. For example, as shown in FIG. 2E, the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more jets 114 configured to be movable along a path “P” to facilitate contacting the dispersing solution 111 with the input fibrous material 101. Alternatively, in some embodiments the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more tray(s) 113 disposed flat on a surface of a table, bench, or the like, included in the dispersing unit 110. The trays 113 can be used to dispose and / or accommodate an input fibrous material 101, as shown in FIG.2G. In such embodiments, the dispersing unit 110 can include one or more jets 114 oriented at a distance “t / ” from the trays 113. The jets 114 can be oriented such that a stream of the dispersing solution 111 can be directed to the input fibrous material 101 at an angle a with respect to the trays 113 (and the input fibrous material 101), schematically shown in FIG. 2G. The jets 114 can be configured to direct the dispersing solution 111 towards the input fibrous material 101 in such a manner that the dispersing solution 111 contacts the input fibrous material 101 at a reference point located at a distance “e” from one end portion of the input fibrous material 101. In some embodiments, the jets 114 can be configured to be stationary and the tray 113 can be moved (manually and / or with the aid of an actuator and / or motor) horizontally in the direction “P” to expose the input fibrous material 101 to the dispersing solution 111, as shown in FIG. 2G. Alternatively, in some embodiments the trays 113 can be configured to be stationary, and the jets 114 can be moved in the direction “P” to expose the input fibrous material 101 to the dispersing solution 111.327449891 14Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065

[0032] In some embodiments, the fibrous material 101 can be secured, anchored, and / or immobilized to the surface of the trays 113 to limit and / or restrict movement of the fibrous material 101 during exposure to the dispersing solution 111. For example, in some embodiments a portion of the fibrous material 101 can be secured to the trays 113 with the aid of one or more weight(s) applied on an end portion of the fibrous material 101. In some embodiments, the fibrous material 101 can be adhered and / or attached to the surface of the trays 113 via capillary forces, weak interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and the like) between the surface of the trays 113 and the fibrous material 101. In such embodiments, the jets 114 can be directed to the fibrous material 101 starting from a predetermined and / or reference point on the trays 113 and / or an end portion of the input fibrous material 101, as described above, to prevent detaching the fibrous material 101 from the surface of the trays 113 during exposure to the dispersing solution 111.

[0033] The dispersing solution 111 can include any liquid solution configured to overcome the surface energy of the fibrous material 101 to permeate and / or penetrate the fibrous material 101 and disaggregate fibers included in the input fibrous material 101 (e.g., reduce a density of the input fibrous material 101 to facilitate incorporating the coating solution 131). In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can be and / or include water. In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can be and / or include an aqueous solution including additives which can facilitate overcoming the surface energy of the fibrous material 101 and permeating and / or penetrating the fibrous material 101. In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can include one or more additives including, for example calcium lactate, potassium chloride and / or other ionic gelling agents, plant derived proteins, starch, sugar, curdlan, and / or any other polysaccharides. In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can include biological cells. For example, in some embodiments the dispersing solution 111 can include cultured animal cells such as mammalian cells, fish cells, avian muscle myoblasts, fibroblasts, adipocytes, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, keratinocytes, stem cells, or any combination thereof. In use, the dispersing solution 111 can be used to permeate and / or penetrate the fibrous material 101 and disaggregate fibers included in the input fibrous material 101 such that the cultured animal cells can be incorporated into the input fibrous material 101. In such embodiments, the resulting dispersed material 102 produced at the dispersing unit 110 includes cultured animal cells. In some embodiments, the dispersed material 102 and / or the fiber composite material 105 can include at least about 2 wt.%, at least about 4 wt.%, at least about 6 wt.%, at least about 10 wt.%, at least about 12 wt.%, at least about 14 wt.%, at least about 16327449891 15Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065wt.%, at least about 18 wt.%, or at least about 20 wt.% of cultured animal cells, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the dispersed material 102 and / or the fiber composite material 105 can include no more than about 20 wt.%, no more than about 17 wt.%, no more than about 14 wt.%, no more than about 11 wt.%, no more than about 8 wt.%, no more than about 5 wt.%, or no more than about 2 wt.% of cultured animal cells, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0034] In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can be directed to the input fibrous material 101 at a preferred and / or predetermined temperature to facilitate disaggregating the fibers included in the input fibrous material 101. In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can be contacted with the input fibrous material 101 at room temperature. In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can be contacted with the input fibrous material 101 at a temperature of at least about 10 °C, at least about 15 °C, at least about 20 °C, at least about 25 °C, at least about 30 °C, at least about 35 °C, at least about 40 °C, at least about 45 °C, at least about 50 °C, at least about 55 °C, at least about 60 °C, at least about 65 °C, or at least about 70 °C, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the dispersing solution 111 can be contacted with the input fibrous material 101 at a temperature of no more than about 70 °C, no more than about 66 °C, no more than about 62 °C, no more than about 58 °C, no more than about 54 °C, no more than about 50 °C, no more than about 46 °C, no more than about 42 °C, no more than about 38 °C, no more than about 34 °C, no more than about 30 °C, no more than about 26 °C, no more than about 22 °C, no more than about 18 °C, no more than about 14 °C, or no more than about 10 °C, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0035] Combinations of the above referenced ranges for the temperature of the dispersing solution 111 when contacting the input fibrous material 101 are also possible (e.g., a temperature of at least about 25 °C to less than about 30 °C, or at least about 16 °C to less than about 65 °C).

[0036] The drying unit 120 can be and / or include any suitable structure capable of drying and / or removing moisture from a dispersed material 102 producing a dried material 103. FIG.1 shows exposure of the input fibrous material 101 to the dispersing solution 111 in the dispersing unit 110 disaggregate and / or reduces the density of fibers included in input fibrous material 101 aligning the fibers along a preferred direction. The disaggregated material can be referred to as the dispersed material 102. The dispersed material 102 can be transferred from327449891 16Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065the dispersing unit 110 to the drying unit 120 for drying and further processing. In some embodiments, the dispersed material 102 can be transferred manually from the dispersing unit 110 to the drying unit 120. For example, in some embodiments the dispersed material 102 can be produced in one or more trays via a batch process, as shown schematically in FIG. 2E. In such embodiments, the dispersed material 102 can be manually transferred in the one or more trays to the drying unit 120 to remove moisture. In some embodiments, the dispersed material 102 can be transferred automatically (e.g., without the aid of a technician transporting the dispersed material 102) from the dispersing unit 110 to the drying unit 120. For example, in some embodiments the dispersed material 102 can be produced continuously in one or more trays on a conveyor belt 112, as shown schematically in FIG. 2F. In such embodiments, the dispersed material 102 can be continuously transferred to the drying unit 120 to remove moisture via the conveyor belt 112.

[0037] In some embodiments the drying unit 120 can be and / or include an oven designed to accommodate and heat the dispersed material 102 to remove moisture. In some embodiments, the drying unit can increase the temperature of the dispersed material 102 to a predetermined and / or preferred temperature. In some embodiments, the predetermined and / or preferred temperature can be at least about 30 °C, at least about 35 °C, at least about 40 °C, at least about 45 °C, at least about 50 °C, at least about 55 °C, at least about 60 °C, at least about 65 °C, at least about 70 °C, at least about 75 °C, at least about 80 °C , at least about 85 °C , at least about 90 °C, or at least about 95 °C, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the predetermined and / or preferred temperature can be no more than about 95°C, no more than about 90 °C, no more than about 86 °C, no more than about 82 °C, no more than about 78 °C, no more than about 74 °C, on more than about 70 °C, no more than about 66 °C, no more than about 62 °C, no more than about 58 °C, no more than about 54 °C, no more than about 50 °C, no more than about 46 °C, no more than about 42 °C, no more than about 38 °C, no more than about 34 °C, or no more than about 30 °C, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0038] Combinations of the above-referenced ranges for the predetermined and / or preferred temperature in the drying unit 120 are also possible (e.g., a temperature of at least about 30 °C to less than about 90 °C, or at least about 35 °C to less than about 65 °C).

[0039] In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can remove moisture from the dispersed material 102 by establishing a vacuum pressure sufficient to evaporate and / or volatize327449891 17Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065moisture. In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can heat the dispersed material 102 to the predetermined and / or preferred temperature under vacuum conditions. In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can circulate and / or contact a gas at a desired temperature (e.g., hot air) with the dispersed material 102 to remove moisture form the dispersed material 102. In such embodiments, the drying unit 120 can be and / or include a convection oven. The convection oven can circulate hot air and operate at a preferred temperature of at least about 60 °C, at least about 62 °C, at least about 64 °C, at least about 66 °C, at least about 68 °C at least about 70 °C, at least about 72 °C, at least about 74 °C, at least about 75 °C, at least about 80 °C, at least about 85 °C, or at least about 90 °C inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the convection oven can circulate hot air and operate at a preferred temperature of no more than about 90 °C, no more than about 87 °C, no more than about 84 °C, no more than about 81 °C, no more than about 79 °C, no more than about 75 °C, no more than about 72 °C, no more than about 69 °C, no more than about 66 °C, no more than about 63 °C, or no more than about 60 °C, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. Combinations of the above referenced ranges for the operating temperature of the convection oven are also possible (e.g., a temperature of at least about 60 °C to less than about 75 °C, or at least about 64 °C to less than about 70 °C). In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can be and / or include an electrical resistance oven. In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can be and / or include a gas-powered oven. In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can be and / or include a microwave oven. In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can be and / or include a steam oven. In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can remove moisture from the dispersed material 102 by cooling the dispersed material 102 such as in a freeze drier device.

[0040] In some embodiments, the dried material 103 can be directed to the coating unit 130 for further processing, as shown schematically in FIG. 1. Optionally, in some embodiments the dried material 103 can be sent directly to a sterilization unit 150. The sterilization unit 150 can be and / or include any suitable device configured receive the dried material 103 to remove, and / or deactivate (e.g., kill), any living microorganisms present in the dried material 103 such as fungi, bacteria, spores, viruses, and other unicellular eukaryotic producing a sterilized material 106. For example, in some embodiments the sterilization unit 150 can be and / or include a UV light configured to eliminate any living microorganisms present in the dried material 103. In some embodiments, the sterilization unit 150 can be and / or include an autoclave configured to heat the dried material 103 to a sterilization temperature of at least about 70 °C to about 120 °C and / or a pressure of between 1 atm and 1.1 atm. For example, in327449891 18Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065some embodiments the sterilization unit 150 can be and / or include an autoclave configured to heat the dried material 103 such that the fibers in the dried material 103 reach a temperature of about 74 °C, producing a sterilized material 106 which can be used for plant-based meat analogues applications. In some embodiments, the sterilization unit 150 can be and / or include an autoclave configured to heat the dried material 103 such that the fibers in the dried material 103 reach a temperature of about 115 °C, producing a sterilized material 106 which can be used for cell culture applications. In some embodiments, the sterilization unit 150 can be any known sterilization device known in the prior art. Consequently, no further details on the sterilization unit 150 are disclosed herein.

[0041] In some embodiments the sterilized material 106 can be used for culturing animal cells. Said in other words, the dried material 103 can be sterilized at the sterilization unit 150 to serve as a support for culturing animal cells. In such embodiments, the dried material 103 is sterilized to produce a sterilized material 106 free of any potential contaminant. The sterilized material 106 can be used to introduce, maintain, and propagate isolated cells tissues or organs providing a suitable artificial environment. For example, in some embodiments the sterilized material 106 can be used a substrate in which animal cells can be introduced, and induced to grow (e.g., outside of their organ or tissue of origin) by supplying a medium containing nutrients, proteins, and grow factors (e.g., a culture media). In some embodiments, the sterilized material 106 can be further processed to introduce additives that can improve the adhesion of animal cells and ultimately facilitate the formation of a monolayer culture (e.g., a single cell thickness continuous anchoring layer) in which a cell culture can be grown to produce tissue scaffolds. In such embodiments, the sterilized material 106 can be used as a stable non-toxic and biologically inert surface for attachment and growth of cells. For example, in some embodiments, the sterilized material 106 can be used to attach cells that can be proliferated and / or allowed to differentiate into mature cells in conditions that are specific to that cell type. In some embodiments, the sterilized material 106 can be compatible with multiple variants of cell culture media containing attachment factors, and / or any other species that can facilitate cells to attach to the sterilized material 106.

[0042] The coating unit 130 can be and / or include any suitable structure capable of coating a coating solution 131 onto the dried material 103 to produce a coated material 104. The coating solution 131 can be any suitable liquid solution containing connecting materials and / or additives that enable the assembly of hierarchically structured fibrous materials (e.g., fiber composite analogs). In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can include materials,327449891 19Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065chemical reagents, and / or species that undergo gelation and / or crosslinking reactions upon contact with ionic solutions. For example, in some embodiments the coating solution 131 can include materials, chemical reagents, and / or species that are liquid at room temperature, and undergo gelation and / or crosslinking reactions (e.g., produce a gel-like product) upon heating the coating solution 131 to a gelation temperature in the presence of ionic solutions. In some embodiments, the gelation temperature can be at least about 45 °C, at least about 50 °C, at least about 55 °C, at least about 60 °C, at least about 65 °C, at least about 70 °C, at least about 75 °C, at least about 80 °C, at least about 85 °C, at least about 90 °C, at least about 95 °C, at least about 100 °C, or at least about 110 °C, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the gelation temperature can be no more than about 110 °C, no more than about 107 °C, no more than about 104 °C, no more than about 101 °C, no more than about 98 °C, no more than about 95 °C, no more than about 92 °C, no more than about 79 °C, no more than about 76 °C, no more than about 73 °C, no more than about 70 °C, no more than about 67 °C, no more than about 64 °C, no more than about 60 °C, no more than about 57 °C , no more than about 74 °C , no more than about 51 °C , no more than about 47 °C, or no more than about 45 °C, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0043] Combinations of the above-referenced gelation temperatures are also possible (e.g., at least about 60 °C and no more than about 90 °C or at least about 68 °C and no more than about 85 °C).

[0044] In some embodiments the coating solution 131 can include a polysaccharide which can assist in in gelation when exposed to heat and ionic solutions. In some embodiments, the polysaccharide can be liquid a room temperature and produce a gel (e.g., undergo crosslinking or gelation reactions) when heated to a temperature (e.g., gelation temperature) of about 60 to 90 °C. In some embodiments, the polysaccharide can be liquid a room temperature and produce a gel (e.g., undergo crosslinking or gelation reactions) when exposed to a cationic species such as Ca++, Mg++, K+, Na+, or the like. In some embodiments, the polysaccharide can include cellulose, curdlan, starch, glycogen, sucrose, dextrin, hemicellulose, polydextrose, inulin, glucans, beta-glucan, pectin, psyllium husk mucilage, galactomannans, gums, beta-mannan, carob, fenugreek, guar gum, tara gum, methylcellulose, glucomannan gum, konjac gum, gum acacia, karaya gum, pullalan, tragacanth gum, arabinoxylan gum, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan, trehalose, or any combination thereof.327449891 20Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065

[0045] In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can include plant-based scaffolding in solution. In some embodiments, the plant-based scaffolding can include plant fibers. In some embodiments, the plant fibers can include bast fibers, leaf fibers, plant polysaccharides, starches, beta-glucans, cellulose, pectic polysaccharides, and / or seed-hair fibers. In some embodiments, the plant fibers can include fibers derived from flax, hemp, Indian hemp, jute, tossa jute, white jute, kenaf, ramie, roselle, sunn, urena, abaca, cantala, henequen, maguey, Mauritus hemp, phormium, sisal, akund floss, bagasse, bamboo, bombax cotton, coir, cotton, floss-silk trees, kapok, milkweed floss, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the plant-based scaffolding can include plant protein. In some embodiments, the plant protein can include proteins derived from rice, peas, soy, barley, barley rice, beans, fava beans, seitan, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, spelt, teff, seeds, hemp seeds, amaranth, quinoa, spirulina, green peas, oats, Ezekiel bread, wild rice, nuts, chia seeds, mycoprotein, mycelium, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the plant protein can include one or more amino acids. In some embodiments, the plant protein can include alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the plant-based scaffolding can include an oil derived from plants. In some embodiments, the oil can be food safe. In some embodiments, the oil can be organic. In some embodiments, the oil can include coconut oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, almond oil, beech nut oil, Brazil nut oil, cashew oil, hazelnut oil, macadamia oil, mongongo nut oil, pecan oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can include biological cells. For example, in some embodiments the coating solution 131 can include cultured animal cells such as mammalian cells, fish cells, avian muscle myoblasts, fibroblasts, adipocytes, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, keratinocytes, stem cells, or any combination thereof. In use, the coating solution 131 can be used to incorporate cultured animal cells into the dried material 103. In such embodiments, the coating unit 130 can produce a fiber composite material 105 that includes cultured animal cells. In some embodiments, the fiber composite material 105 can include at least about 2 wt.%, at least about 4 wt.%, at least about 6 wt.%, at least about 10 wt.%, at least about 12 wt.%, at least about 14 wt.%, at least about 16 wt.%, at least about 18 wt.%, or at least about 20 wt.% of cultured animal cells, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fiber composite material 105 can include no more than about 20 wt.%, no more than about 17 wt.%, no more327449891 21Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065than about 14 wt.%, no more than about 11 wt.%, no more than about 8 wt.%, no more than about 5 wt.%, or no more than about 2 wt.% of cultured animal cells, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0046] In some embodiments, the plant-based scaffolding in the coating solution 131 can have a concentration of at least about 0.1 M, at least about 0.2 M, at least about 0.3 M, at least about 0.4 M, at least about 0.5 M, at least about 0.6 M, at least about 0.7 M, at least about 0.8 M, at least about 0.9 M, at least about 1 M, at least about 1.5 M, at least about 2 M, at least about 2.5 M, at least about 3 M, at least about 3.5 M, at least about 4 M, at least about 4.5 M, at least about 5 M, at least about 5.5 M, at least about 6 M, at least about 6.5 M, at least about 7 M, at least about 7.5 M, at least about 8 M, at least about 8.5 M, at least about 9 M, or at least about 9.5 M, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween . In some embodiments, the plantbased scaffolding in the coating solution 131 can have a concentration of no more than about 10 M, no more than about 9.5 M, no more than about 9 M, no more than about 8.5 M, no more than about 8 M, no more than about 7.5 M, no more than about 7 M, no more than about 6.5 M, no more than about 6 M, no more than about 5.5 M, no more than about 5 M, no more than about 4.5 M, no more than about 4 M, no more than about 3.5 M, no more than about 3 M, no more than about 2.5 M, no more than about 2 M, no more than about 1.5 M, no more than about 1 M, no more than about 0.9 M, no more than about 0.8 M, no more than about 0.7 M, no more than about 0.6 M, no more than about 0.5 M, no more than about 0.4 M, no more than about 0.3 M, or no more than about 0.2 M, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0047] Combinations of the above-referenced concentrations of the plant-based scaffolding in the coating solution 131 are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.1 M and no more than about 10 M or at least about 1 M and no more than about 5 M).

[0048] In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can have a viscosity (at 20 °C) of at least about 0.001 Pa-s, at least about 0.002 Pa-s, at least about 0.003 Pa-s, at least about 0.004 Pa-s, at least about 0.005 Pa-s, at least about 0.006 Pa-s, at least about 0.007 Pa-s, at least about 0.008 Pa-s, at least about 0.009 Pa-s, at least about 0.01 Pa-s, at least about 0.02 Pa-s, at least about 0.03 Pa-s, at least about 0.04 Pa-s, at least about 0.05 Pa-s, at least about 0.06 Pa-s, at least about 0.07 Pa-s, at least about 0.08 Pa-s, at least about 0.09 Pa-s, at least about 0.1 Pa-s, at least about 0.2 Pa-s, at least about 0.3 Pa-s, at least about 0.4 Pa-s, at least about 0.5 Pa-s, at least about 0.6 Pa-s, at least about 0.7 Pa-s, at least about 0.8 Pa-s, or at least about 0.9 Pa-s, .), inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can have a viscosity of no more than about 1 Pa-s, no more than about 0.9 Pa-s, no more327449891 22Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065than about 0.8 Pa-s, no more than about 0.7 Pa-s, no more than about 0.6 Pa-s, no more than about 0.5 Pa-s, no more than about 0.4 Pa-s, no more than about 0.3 Pa-s, no more than about 0.2 Pa-s, no more than about 0.1 Pa-s, no more than about 0.09 Pa-s, no more than about 0.08 Pa-s, no more than about 0.07 Pa-s, no more than about 0.06 Pa-s, no more than about 0.05 Pa-s, no more than about 0.04 Pa-s, no more than about 0.03 Pa-s, no more than about 0.02 Pa-s, no more than about 0.01 Pa-s, no more than about 0.009 Pa-s, no more than about 0.008 Pa-s, no more than about 0.007 Pa-s, no more than about 0.006 Pa-s, no more than about 0.005 Pa-s, no more than about 0.004 Pa-s, no more than about 0.003 Pa-s, or no more than about 0.002 Pa-s), inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0049] Combinations of the above-referenced viscosity ranges are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.001 Pa-s and no more than about 1 Pa-s or at least about 0.01 Pa-s and no more than about 0.1 Pa-s.), inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0050] In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can have a yield stress (at 20 °C) of at least about 0.01 Pa, at least about 0.02 Pa, at least about 0.03 Pa, at least about 0.04 Pa, at least about 0.06 Pa, at least about 0.07 Pa, at least about 0.08 Pa, at least about 0.09 Pa, at least about 0.1 Pa, at least about 0.2 Pa, at least about 0.3 Pa, at least about 0.4 Pa, at least about 0.6 Pa, at least about 0.7 Pa, at least about 0.8 Pa, or at least about 0.9 Pa, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can have a yield stress of no more than about 1 Pa, no more than about 0.9 Pa, no more than about 0.8 Pa, no more than about 0.7 Pa, no more than about 0.6 Pa, no more than about 0.5 Pa, no more than about 0.4 Pa, no more than about 0.3 Pa, no more than about 0.2 Pa, no more than about 0.1 Pa, no more than about 0.09 Pa, no more than about 0.08 Pa, no more than about 0.07 Pa, no more than about 0.06 Pa, no more than about 0.05 Pa, no more than about 0.04 Pa, no more than about 0.03 Pa, or no more than about 0.02 Pa, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0051] Combinations of the above-referenced yield stress values are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.01 Pa and no more than about 1 Pa or at least about 0.1 Pa and no more than about 0.5 Pa).

[0052] In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can include water. In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can include nutrients. In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can include a saline solution. In some embodiments, one or more components of the coating solution 131 can be designed to undergo crosslinking and / or curing327449891 23Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065reactions with ionic species included in the saline solution. In some embodiments, the saline solution can include monovalent ions that can include anions, cations, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the saline solution can include water with divalent ions that can include anions, cations, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the saline solution can include a salt. In some embodiments, the salt can include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium lactate, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the salt can include protons (or hydronium ions) or hydroxide ions that modulate pH. In some embodiments, the polysaccharides in the coating solution 131 can undergo ionic gelation when they are contacted with the dried material.

[0053] In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can have a pH of at least about 3, at least about 3.5, at least about 4, at least about 4.5, at least about 5, at least about 5.5, at least about 6, at least about 6.5, at least about 7, at least about 7.5, at least about 8, at least about 8.5, at least about 9, at least about 9.5, at least about 10, at least about 10.5, at least about 11, or at least about 11.5, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the coating solution 131 can have a pH of no more than about 12, no more than about 11.5, no more than about 11, no more than about 10.5, no more than about 10, no more than about 9.5, no more than about 9, no more than about 8.5, no more than about 8, no more than about 7.5, no more than about 7, no more than about 6.5, no more than about 6, no more than about 5.5, no more than about 5, no more than about 4.5, no more than about 4, or no more than about 3.5, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0054] Combinations of the above-referenced pH values are also possible (e.g., at least about 3 and no more than about 12 or at least about 6 and no more than about 8).

[0055] In some embodiments, the coated material 104 can be produced by manually impregnating, depositing, and / or coating the coating solution 131 onto the dried material 103. Said in other words, in some embodiments the coated material 104 can be produced by incorporating, with the aid of a subject, a user, and / or a technician, the coating solution on a surface of the dried material 103. For example, in some embodiments the coated material 104 can be produced by spreading, with the aid of a spatula, the coating solution 131 on the dried material 103. In some embodiments, the coated material 104 can be produced by automatically (e.g., without the direct intervention of a subject, a user, and / or a technician), by impregnating, depositing, and / or coating the coating solution 131 onto the dried material 103. For example, in some embodiments the coated material 104 can be produced by spraying, with the aid of one327449891 24Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065or more automated sprays, the coating solution 131 onto the dried material 103 when the dried material 103 is transported in a conveyor such as the conveyor belt 112 shown in FIG. 2.

[0056] In some embodiments, the layer of the coating solution 131 can be used to prepare hierarchically structured fibrous composite (fiber composite analogs), as further described herein. In some embodiments, the fiber composite analogs produced by the process 100 can be and / or include food products such as chips, nuts, crackers, granola, jerky, pretzels, fruit snacks, trail mix, protein bars, dried food products, baked products, pudding, dips, high protein snacks, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the fiber composite analogs can be plant-based meat analogues products that incorporate connecting materials and / or additives included in the coating solution 131 to produce and / or mimic the hierarchical structures found in meats. In some embodiments, a ratio of the amount of coating solution 131 to dried material 103 (e.g., the loading of coating solution 131 on the dried material 103) can be at least about 1 : 1, at least about 2:1, at least about 3:1, at least about 4:1, at least about 4:1, at least about 5:1, at least about 6: 1, at least about 7: 1, or at least 8:1, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, a ratio R of the amount of coating solution 131 to dried material 103 can be no more than about 8: 1, no more than about 7: 1, no more than about 6: 1, no more than about 5.5:1, no more than about 4.5:1, no more than about 3.5:1, no more than about 2.5:1, no more than about 1.5:1, or no more than about 1:1, inclusive of all values and ranges therebetween.

[0057] The assembly unit 140 can and / or include any suitable structure capable of assembling the coated material 104 into a fiber composite material 105. The fiber composite material 105 can be a hierarchically structured fibrous material (e.g., a fiber composite analog). In some embodiments, the coated material 104 can be exposed, at the assembly unit 140, to a saline solution such that materials, chemical reagents, and / or species present in the coated material 104 (e.g., materials stemming from the coating solution 131) undergo gelification and / or crosslinking reactions upon contact with ionic species included in the saline solution. In some embodiments, the coated material 104 can be exposed, at the assembly unit 140, to a heat treatment (e.g., direct exposure to steam at a temperature of between about 100 °C to about 130 °C) such that materials, chemical reagents, and / or species present in the coated material 104 (e.g., materials stemming from the coating solution 131) undergo gelification and / or crosslinking reactions when steamed.

[0058] In some embodiments, two or more layers of the coated material 104 can be stacked on top of each other and then rolled into a single piece, producing a roll-like bundle of coated material 104, which can be exposed to a saline solution and / or heat (e.g., steam) to initiate327449891 25Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065gelification and / or crosslinking reactions and produce a fiber composite material 105 (e.g., a fiber composite analog or a hierarchically structured composite material). Optionally, in some embodiments the coated material 104 can be stacked in any suitable way, to produce multilayer composites that can undergo gelification and / or crosslinking reactions (e.g., via exposure to saline solutions or high temperature / steam) and then be further processed by shredding, cutting, compressing, or any other suitable processing step. In some embodiments in which the fiber composite material 105 include cultured animal cells, one or more layers of the fiber composite material 105 can be oriented and / or stacked to control a texture and / or organoleptic properties of a food product produced based on the fiber composite material 105.

[0059] Optionally, in some embodiments the fiber composite material 105 can be directed to the sterilization unit 150, as shown schematically in FIG. 1. The sterilization unit 150 can be and / or include any suitable device configured to receive the fiber composite material 105 and remove, and / or deactivate (e.g., kill), any living microorganisms present in the fiber composite material 105 such as fungi, bacteria, spores, viruses, and other unicellular eukaryotic producing a sterilized material 106, as described above.

[0060] FIGS. 3A shows an image of an exemplary input fibrous material 201 used to fabricate a fiber composite material 205 (e.g., a hierarchically structured fiber composite material), according to a process 200. The process 200 can be similar to and / or the same as the process 100 described above with reference to FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the process 200 can be carried out and / or practiced using a system similar to the system disclosed above with reference to the process 100. For example, the system can include one or more units (e.g., a dispersing unit, a drying unit, a coating unit, an assembly unit, and optionally a sterilization unit) substantially similar to and / or the same as the dispersing unit 110, a drying unit 120, a coating unit 130, and an assembly unit 140 disclosed above with reference to FIG.l. The process 200 can be configured to transform an input fibrous material 201 into a fiber composite material exhibiting a hierarchical structure (e.g., a fiber composite analog). In some embodiments, the input fibrous material 201 can be produced by a rotary jet spinning (RJS) process. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the input fibrous material 201 can be produced by any suitable processing method capable of producing a fibrous material including, for example 3D printing, electrospinning, phase separation, self-assembly, decellularized tissue production, freeze-drying, supercritical fluid processing, gas foaming, solvent casting and particulate leaching, salt leaching, nanofiber production from electrospinning, injection molding, microfluidics, laser micromachining, robocasting, photolithography, rapid327449891 26Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065prototyping, or the like. FIG. 3 A shows the input fibrous material 201 can be a high-density fibrous material in which individual fibers or groups of fibers are disposed and / or oriented along a longitudinal direction. The high density of the input fibrous material 201 prevents introducing one or more connecting material(s) and / or additives which can coat individual fibers, groups of fibers (e.g., bundles of fibers), and / or be disposed between fibers and / or bundles of fibers, generating hierarchically structured fiber composite material using prior art methods. FIG 3 A shows the input fibrous material 201 can be disposed in a tray 213 sized and configured to receive and expose the input fibrous material 201 to a dispersing solution. FIG.3B shows that contacting the input fibrous material 201 with a dispersing solution can result in the dispersing solution overcoming the surface energy of the input fibrous material 201, penetrating fibers included in the input fibrous material 201, and disaggregating and / or reducing the density of fibers included in input fibrous material 201 to produce a dispersed material 202. The dispersed material 202 shown in FIG. 3B was produced by processing the input fibrous material 201 with the aid of a tray 213. More especially, the input fibrous material 201 was disposed on the tray 213 and the tray 213 was subsequently oriented at a tilting angle a with respect to a stationary surface in which the tray 213 is placed (e.g., a table, a conveyor belt, or the floor). Orienting the tray 213 at the tilting angle a causes a first end of the tray 213 (e.g., end A of the tray 213) to be at a higher elevation than a second end of the tray 213 (e.g., end B of the tray 213), as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Under such conditions, a stream of the dispersing solution can be directed to contact the input fibrous material 201 and flow on the tray 213 driven by gravity on a descending direction AA from the first end of the tray 213 to the second end of the tray 213 (e.g., from end A to end B of the tray 213). In some embodiments, the tilting angle a can about 15 degrees to about 30 degrees. The dispersed material 202 shown in FIG. 3B was produced by directing a stream of dispersing solution at a center region and / or portion of the input fibrous material 201 (shown as center portion C in FIGS 3 A and 3B), allowing the dispersing solution to flow along the direction AA, producing disaggregation of fibers in the input fibrous material 201 and alignment of fibers along the direction AA until generating a dispersed material 202 shown in FIG. 3B. Changing the orientation of the tray 213 such that the first end of the tray 213 (e.g., end A of the tray 213) is disposed at a lower elevation than a second end of the tray 213 (e.g., end B of the tray 213), causes the dispersion solution to flow along the direction BB, as shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4B shows the formation of a dispersed material 202 produced by exposure of the input fibrous material 201 to a dispersing solution when the tray 213 is oriented at a tilting angle a. It is327449891 27Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065worth noting that in the embodiment shown in FIGS 3 A, 3B, 4A, and 4B, the tray 213 does not include a patterned surface (e.g., the tray 213 includes a flat surface configured to accommodate the input fibrous material 201). Alternatively, in some embodiments the tray 213 can include a patterned surface such as the exemplary patterned surfaces shown in FIGS 2A-2D, which can facilitate aligning the input fibrous material 201 along the features of the patterned surface. That is to say, the features of the patterned surface can guide the orientation of individual fibers in the input fibrous material 201 and ultimately the final shape of the dispersed material 202. FIG. 4B shows the resulting dispersed material 202 after processing the input fibrous material 201 on the tray 213, highlighting the formation of fibers separated and / or disaggregated from each other to facilitate coating a coating solution, as further described herein.

[0061] FIGS. 5 A and 5B show images of a dried material 203 produced by drying, at a drying unit, the dispersed material 202 shown in FIG.4B. In some embodiments, the dried material 203 can be similar to and / or the same as the dried material 103 described with respect to the process 100 in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the dried material 203 can be dried at a predetermined and / or preferred temperature between about 30 °C and about 70 °C. In some embodiments, the dried material 203 can be sent directly to a sterilization unit. The sterilization unit can be configured to remove, and / or deactivate (e.g., kill), any living microorganisms present in the dried material 203 such as fungi, bacteria, spores, viruses, and other unicellular eukaryotic producing a sterilized material. In some embodiments, the sterilized material produced directly from the dried material 203 can be used to grow animal cells, as described above with respect to the sterilized material 106 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 A shows the dried material 203 can be stacked together, forming a multilayer composite. More specifically, FIG.5A shows that optionally, in some embodiments, a first layer of dried material 203 A, and a second layer of dried material 203B produced by drying, at a drying unit, a dispersed material 202. The first layer of dried material 203 A and the second layer of dried material 203B can be stacked together, along with other optional layers of dried material 203 to produce a multilayer dried material 203.

[0062] FIG. 6A illustrates a coated material 204 produced according to the process 200 from an input fibrous material 201. The coated material 204 can be produced by exposing, at a coating unit, the dried material 203 to a coating solution. In some embodiments, the coated material 204 can be similar to and / or the same as the coated material 104 described above with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 6A shows that the coating solution can be uniformly coated, infiltrated, and / or permeated into a dried material 203 to produce the coated material 204. In327449891 28Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065some embodiments, one or more components of the coated material 204 can be gelled by applying heat, pressure, and / or a cationic solution, resulting in a fiber composite material (e.g., a hierarchically structured fiber composite material). FIG. 6A shows the coated material 204 displays a uniform cohesive distribution of a coating solution, unlike the non-uniform distribution of coating solution on a fibrous input material obtained by processes described in the prior art, similar to, and / or the same as the material shown in FIG. 6B.

[0063] In some embodiments, the coated material 204 can be further processed, at an assembly unit, to produce a fiber composite material (e.g., a hierarchically structured fiber composite). Optionally, in some embodiments, the fiber composite material can be directed to a sterilization unit, similar to and / or the same as sterilization unit 150 described above with reference to FIG. 1, to produce a sterilized material. Optionally, in some embodiments, the sterilized material produced by further processing of the coated material 204 at an assembly unit, can be used to grow animal cells, as described above with reference to the sterilization unit 150. In some embodiments, the coated material 204 and be a food product such as chips, nuts, crackers, plant-based and / or cultivated meats, granola, jerky, pretzels, fruit snacks such as fruit leather, layered deserts like mille-feuille, trail mix, protein bars, dried food products, baked products, pudding, dips, high protein snacks, and the like. In some embodiments, the coated material 204 can be a whole-cut plant-based meat analogues product. In such embodiments, further processing of the coated material 204 at an assembly unit, can cause gelation by applying heat, pressure, and / or a cationic solution, resulting in the formation of a uniform cohesive product that closely emulates whole cut meats.

[0064] FIG. 7 shows a method 10 for processing an input fibrous material to produce a fiber composite material (e.g., a hierarchically structured fiber material). At step 11, the method 10 includes exposing and / or contacting, at a dispersion unit, an input fibrous material to a dispersing solution to produce a dispersed material. In some embodiments, the dispersion unit, the dispersing solution, and the input fibrous material can be similar to and / or the same as the dispersing unit 110, the dispersing solution 111, and the input fibrous material 101 described with reference to FIG. 1. The dispersing solution can be contacted with the input fibrous material to overcome the surface energy of the input fibrous material, penetrate fibers included in the input fibrous material, and disaggregate and / or reduce the density of fibers included in input fibrous material. As a result, exposure of the input fibrous material to the dispersing solution produces a dispersed material. In some embodiments, the input fibrous material can be processed with the dispersing solution according to a batch processing method.327449891 29Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065In some embodiments, input fibrous material can be processed according to a continuous and / or a semi continuous process. In some embodiments the dispersing solution can be contacted with the input fibrous material by directing a stream of dispersing solution to a target region of a sample of the input fibrous material. In some embodiments, the target region can be a central region of the sample of the input fibrous material (e.g., a region disposed at or near the center of mass of the sample of the input fibrous material). In such embodiments, the sample of the input fibrous material can produce a dispersed material by a two-step process that includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, the sample of the input fibrous material is disposed on a surface of a dispersing unit (similar to and / or substantially the same as the dispersing unit 110 disclosed above) in a first orientation, and a first stream of the dispersing material is directed to the central region of the sample of the input fibrous material. In the first orientation, a first end portion of the sample of the input fibrous material is disposed at a higher elevation than a second end portion of the input fibrous material, opposite to the first end portion, therefore defining a tilting angle, as shown above with respected to FIGS. 2E and 2F. Exposure of the dispersing solution in the first step causes the dispersing solution to overcome the surface energy of the input fibrous material, disaggregating fibers and orienting them along a first direction of flow of the dispersing solution. The first direction of flow of the dispersing solution is determined by the tilting angle (e.g., from the central region of the sample of input fibrous material to the second end portion of the sample of the input fibrous material). In the second step, the sample of the input fibrous material is disposed in a second orientation on the surface of the dispersing unit 110, and a second stream of the dispersing material is directed to the central region of the sample of the input fibrous material. In some embodiments, the first stream of the dispersing solution can be similar to and / or the same the second stream of the dispersing solution. In some embodiments, the first stream of the dispersing solution can be different from the second stream of the dispersing solution. In the second orientation, the first end portion of the sample of the input fibrous material is disposed at a lower elevation than the second end portion of the input fibrous material, at the tilting angle. In some embodiments, the surface of the dispersing unit 110 can be transitioned between the first orientation and the second orientation by rotating the surface of the dispersing unit 110 along an axis positioned and / or oriented on a central region of the surface of the dispersing unit and along a width of the surface of the central region (e.g., similar to the axis AA shown in FIG. 2B). Exposure of the dispersing solution in the second step causes the dispersing solution to overcome the surface energy of the input fibrous material, disaggregating fibers and orienting them along a second direction of flow of the dispersing solution. The second direction of flow of the dispersing327449891 30Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065solution being determined by the tilting angle (e.g., from the central region of the sample of the input fibrous material to the first end portion of the sample of the input fibrous material). In some embodiments, the dispersing solution can be directed to the sample of the input fibrous material when the sample of the input fibrous material is disposed in the first and / or the second orientation from a predetermined distance “d” from the surface of the dispersing unit. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance “t / ” can be selected to facilitate permeating and / or penetrating the input fibrous material without causing displacement and / or movement of the input fibrous material along the surface in which the input fibrous material is disposed on. In other words, in some embodiments, the predetermined distance “t / ” can be selected, at least in part, to provide adequate contact and soaking of the input fibrous material while preventing that the flow of a dispersing solution physically pushes and / or moves the input fibrous material along the surface on which the input fibrous material is disposed (e.g., the one or more trays oriented at an angle a). In that way, the bulk of the input fibrous material remains stationary while individual fibers included in the input fibrous material become aligned along a direction of flow of the dispersing solution.

[0065] At step 12, the method 11 includes drying, at a drying unit, the dispersed material to produce a dried material. In some embodiments, the drying unit, the dispersed material, and the dried material, can be similar to and / or the same as the drying unit 120, the dispersed material 102, and the dried material 103 described above with reference to FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the dispersed material can be dried to remove moisture from the dispersed material. In some embodiments the dispersed material can be dried by exposing the dispersed material to a predetermined and / or preferred temperature. In some embodiments, the predetermined and / or preferred temperature can be between about 30 °C and about 70 °C. In some embodiments, the drying unit 120 can remove moisture from the dispersed material 102 by establishing a vacuum pressure sufficient to evaporate and / or volatize moisture. In some embodiments, dispersed material can be dried by heating the dispersed material to the predetermined and / or preferred temperature under vacuum conditions. In some embodiments, the dispersed material can be dried by contacting the dispersed material with a gas at a desired temperature (e.g., hot air) to remove moisture form the dispersed material. In such embodiments, the gas can be contacted and / or circulated at a preferred temperature of between 60 °C to 75 °C.

[0066] Optionally, at step 13, the method 10 may include sterilizing, at a sterilization unit, the dried material to produce a sterilized material. In some embodiments, the dried material327449891 31Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065can be sterilized to remove, and / or deactivate (e.g., kill), any living microorganisms present in the dried material such as fungi, bacteria, spores, viruses, and other unicellular eukaryotic, producing the sterilized material. In some embodiments, the sterilization unit, and the sterilized material can be similar to and / or the same as the sterilization unit 150 and the sterilized material 106. In some embodiments the dried material can be sterilized by exposure to UV light. In some embodiments the dried material can be sterilized by exposure to a sterilization temperature of at least about 115 °C to about 170 °C and a pressure of between about 1.0 to 1.1 atm. In some embodiments, the sterilized material produced via sterilization of the dried material can serve as a support for culturing animal cells.

[0067] At step 14, the method 10 includes exposing, at a coating unit, the dried material to a coating solution to produce a coated material. In some embodiments, the coating unit, the coating solution, and the coated material can be similar to and / or the same as the coating unit 130, the coating solution 131, and the coated material 104. In some embodiments, the coated material can be produced by manually impregnating, depositing, and / or coating the coating solution onto the dried material. In some embodiments, the coated material can be produced by automatically (e.g., without the direct intervention of a subject, a user, and / or a technician) by spraying, with the aid of one or more automated sprays, the coating solution onto the dried material when the dried material is transported in a conveyor. In some embodiments, a ratio of the amount of coating solution to dried material (e.g., the loading of coating solution on the dried material) can be between 1 : 1 to about 8:1.

[0068] At step 15, the method 10 includes assembling, at an assembly unit, the coated material to produce a fiber composite material (e.g., a hierarchically structured fiber material). In some embodiments, the assembly unit, and the fiber composite material can be similar to and / or the same as the assembly unit 140, and the fiber composite material 105 described above with reference to the FIG.1. In some embodiments, the coated material can be exposed, at the assembly unit, to a saline solution such that materials, chemical reagents, and / or species present in the coated material (e.g., materials stemming from the coating solution) undergo gelification and / or crosslinking reactions upon contact with ionic species included in the saline solution. In some embodiments, the coated material can be exposed, at the assembly unit, to a heat treatment (e.g., direct exposure to steam at a temperature of between about 100 °C to about 130 °C) such that materials, chemical reagents, and / or species present in the coated material (e.g., materials stemming from the coating solution) undergo gelification and / or crosslinking reactions when steamed. In some embodiments, two or more layers of the coated material can327449891 32Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065be stacked to produce multilayer composites that can then undergo gelification and / or crosslinking reactions (e.g., via exposure to saline solutions or high temperature / steam). At 16, optionally, the method 10 includes sterilizing, at the sterilization unit, the fiber composite material to produce a sterilized material.

[0069] Various concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments. Put differently, it is to be understood that such features may not necessarily be limited to a particular order of execution, but rather, any number of threads, processes, services, servers, and / or the like that may executed serially, asynchronously, concurrently, in parallel, simultaneously, synchronously, and / or the like in a manner consistent with the disclosure. As such, some of these features may be mutually contradictory, in that they cannot be simultaneously present in a single embodiment. Similarly, some features are applicable to one aspect of the innovations, and inapplicable to others.

[0070] In addition the disclosure may include other innovations not presently described. Applicant reserves all rights in such innovations, including the right to embodiment such innovations, file additional applications, continuations, continuations-in-part, divisionals, and / or the like thereof. As such, it should be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functional, features, logical, operational, organizational, structural, topological, and / or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the embodiments or limitations on equivalents to the embodiments. Depending on the particular desires and / or characteristics of an individual and / or enterprise user, database configuration and / or relational model, data type, data transmission and / or network framework, syntax structure, and / or the like, various embodiments of the technology disclosed herein may be implemented in a manner that enables a great deal of flexibility and customization as described herein.

[0071] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.327449891 33Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WG 344180-2065

[0072] As used herein, in particular embodiments, the terms “about” or “approximately” when preceding a numerical value indicates the value plus or minus a range of 10%. Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed within the disclosure. That the upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges can independently be included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the disclosure, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the disclosure.

[0073] The phrase “and / or,” as used herein in the specification and in the embodiments, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and / or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and / or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and / or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

[0074] As used herein in the specification and in the embodiments, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and / or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and / or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of’ or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the embodiments, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the embodiments, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.327449891 34Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065

[0075] As used herein in the specification and in the embodiments, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and / or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

[0076] In the embodiments, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of’ and “consisting essentially of’ shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03

[0077] While specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been outlined above, many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the embodiments set forth herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in a certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure would recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and such modification are in accordance with the variations of the invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. The embodiments have been particularly shown and described, but it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made.327449891 35

Claims

Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065CLAIMS1. A method, comprising:exposing, at a dispersion unit, an input fibrous material to a dispersing solution to produce a disperse material;drying the dispersed material to produce a dried material;exposing, the dried material to a coating solution to produce a coated material; and assembling the coated material to produce a fiber composite material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber composite material is a food product.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the dispersing solution includes water.

4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the dispersing solution includes at least one of calcium lactate, potassium chloride, a plant derived protein, starch, sugar, or a polysaccharide.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein at least one of the dispersing solution or the coating solution includes cultured animal cells.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fiber composite material includes at least about 2 to 20 wt.% cultured animal cells.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the input fibrous material is produced by a rotary jet spinning device.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein exposing the input fibrous material to the dispersing solution includes:disposing the input fibrous material on a surface of a dispersion unit in a first orientation;directing a first stream of the dispersing solution to a target region of the input fibrous material;disposing the input fibrous material on the surface of the dispersion unit in a second orientation different from the first orientation; and327449891 36Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-2065directing a second a second stream of the dispersing solution to the target region of the input fibrous material.

9. The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein:in the first orientation, a first end portion of the input fibrous material is disposed at a higher elevation than a second end portion of the input fibrous material, the second end portion opposite to the first end portion; andin the second orientation, the first end portion of the input fibrous material is disposed at a lower elevation than the second end portion of the input fibrous material.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and the second orientation define a titling angle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the titling angle is between about 15 to 30 degrees.

12. The method of any one of claims 8-11, wherein the target region is a central region of the input fibrous material.

13. The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein drying the dispersed material includes exposing the dispersed material to a temperature between about 30 °C and 90 °C.

14. The method of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the coating solution includes at least one of a polysaccharide.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the polysaccharide includes at least one of cellulose, curdlan, starch, glycogen, sucrose, dextrin, hemicellulose, polydextrose, inulin, glucans, betaglucan, pectin, psyllium husk mucilage, galactomannans, gums, beta-mannan, carob, fenugreek, guar gum, tara gum, methylcellulose, glucomannan gum, konjac gum, gum acacia, karaya gum, pullalan, tragacanth gum, arabinoxylan gum, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan, trehalose, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claims 1-15, wherein the coating solution includes a plant-based scaffolding in solution, the plant-based scaffolding including plant fibers.

17. The method of any one of claims 1-16, further comprising:sterilizing the dried material.327449891 37Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-206518. The method of any one of claims 1-16, further comprising:sterilizing the fiber composite material.

19. A system, comprising:A dispersing unit including a surface configured to accommodate an input fibrous material along an orientation, the dispersing unit defining a tilting angle that allows directing a dispersing solution to the input fibrous material such that the dispersing solution permeates the input fibrous material to produce a dispersed material;a drying unit disposed downstream to the dispersing unit, the drying unit configured to heat the dispersed material to produce a dried material; anda coating unit disposed downstream from the drying unit, the drying unit configured to direct a coating solution to the dried material.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the surface is a corrugated surface including a pattern.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the pattern includes a plurality of channels oriented parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the pattern includes a plurality of creases with ridges, the plurality of creases oriented parallel to each other and along a longitudinal direction.

23. The system of any one of claims 19-22, wherein the tilting angle is between about 15 to 30 degrees.

24. The system of any one of claims 19-23, wherein the dispersing unit further includes a plurality of jets disposed at a distance away from the surface, the plurality of jets configured to direct the dispersing solution to point on the input fibrous material located at a length measured from an end portion of the input fibrous material.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the length is between about 1 / 16 to about 1 / 5 of the total length of the input fibrous material.

26. The system of any one of claims 19-25, further comprising:a conveyor configured to accommodate the dispersing unit, the conveyor configured to transport the input fibrous material continuously to the drying unit.327449891 38Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-206527. A method for preparing a fiber composite material, the method comprising:on a tray including a corrugated surface area, disposing an input fibrous material in a first orientation along a length of the tray;directing a dispersing solution towards the input fibrous material to soak the input fibrous material and form a dispersed material;removing moisture from the dispersed material in a drying unit to produce a dried material;exposing at least a portion of the dried material to a coating solution to form a coated material; andexposing the coated material to a saline solution such that species present in the costed material undergo at least one of gelification or crosslinking reactions upon contact with ionic species included in the saline solution to produce the fiber composite material.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the corrugated surface area includes a plurality of features.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the plurality of features includes at least one of channels or creases disposed along the length of the tray, and the input fibrous material is disposed parallel to the plurality of features.

30. The method of any one of claims 27-29, wherein the tray is oriented such that the dispersing solution contacts the input fibrous material at an incident angle, the incident angle between about 15 to 30 degrees.

31. The method of any one of claims 27-30, wherein the tray is disposed on a conveyor belt.

32. The method of any one of claim 27-31, wherein the fiber composite material is a food product.

33. The method of any one of claims 27-32, wherein the dispersing solution includes at least one of calcium lactate, potassium chloride, a plant derived protein, starch, sugar, or a polysaccharide.327449891 39Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-206534. The method of any one of claims 27-33, wherein at least one of the dispersing solution or the coating solution includes cultured animal cells.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the fiber composite material includes at least about 2 to 20 wt.% cultured animal cells.

36. The method of any one of claims 27-35, wherein the input fibrous material is produced by a rotary jet spinning device.

37. The method of any one of claims 27-36, wherein directing the dispersing solution towards the input fibrous material includes:directing a first stream of the dispersing solution to a target region of the input fibrous material when the fibrous material is disposed in the first orientation;disposing the input fibrous material in a second orientation along a length of the tray, the second orientation different from the first orientation; anddirecting a second stream of the dispersing solution to the target region of the input fibrous material.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein:in the first orientation, a first end portion of the input fibrous material is disposed at a higher elevation than a second end portion of the input fibrous material, the second end portion opposite to the first end portion; andin the second orientation, the first end portion of the input fibrous material is disposed at a lower elevation than the second end portion of the input fibrous material.

39. The method of claim 37 or 38, wherein the input fibrous material can be transitioned between the first and the second orientation by rotating the tray along an axis.

40. The method of any one of claims 27-39, wherein the drying unit includes a convection oven.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the drying unit is configured to heat the dispersed material to a temperature of at least about 30 °C and no more than about 90 °C.327449891 40Agent’s File Ref. BNMT-005 / 01WO 344180-206542. The method of any one of claims 27-41, wherein the coating solution includes at least one of a polysaccharide.

43. The method of claims 42, wherein the polysaccharide includes at least one of cellulose, curdlan, starch, glycogen, sucrose, dextrin, hemicellulose, polydextrose, inulin, glucans, betaglucan, pectin, psyllium husk mucilage, galactomannans, gums, beta-mannan, carob, fenugreek, guar gum, tara gum, methylcellulose, glucomannan gum, konjac gum, gum acacia, karaya gum, pullalan, tragacanth gum, arabinoxylan gum, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan, trehalose, or a combination thereof.327449891 41

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