Edible Pectin Microcarriers for Animal-Free Engineered Meat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microcarriers used in cell culture for producing engineered meat are not edible, animal-product-free, scalable, or cost-effective, posing challenges for large-scale production of safe and sustainable meat products.
Innovation Solution
Development of edible microcarriers made from naturally occurring polymers like pectin and cardosin, which are animal-product-free, allowing for the formation of engineered meat products that are safe for consumption and can be scaled up for large quantities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If commercially available microcarriers are used for cell culture, then cell growth efficiency is improved, but edibility and safety for consumption deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameters of microcarriers from synthetic polymers (polystyrene, poly(L-lactide), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PLGA) to edible plant-based polymers (pectin, cardosin). This parameter change maintains the microcarrier functionality for cell growth while making the material edible and safe for consumption, directly resolving the contradiction between productivity and edibility/safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining pectin and cardosin to create microcarriers with enhanced properties. The composite structure provides both the necessary mechanical support for cell culture and the edibility required for food safety, achieving a balance between functional performance and consumption safety
2Reliability
If animal-derived materials are used for microcarriers, then biocompatibility is improved, but suitability for vegan/animal-free products deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs plant-based polymers (pectin and cardosin) that are biodegradable and intended for single-use in cell culture. These materials provide adequate biocompatibility for the duration of cell culture while being inherently animal-free, thus maintaining both reliability and adaptability to vegan requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the source parameter of the polymer materials from animal-derived to plant-derived. This parameter change maintains biocompatibility through proper material selection while ensuring the product meets animal-free requirements for vegan applications
3Manufacturing precision
If synthetic materials are used for microcarriers, then manufacturing precision is improved, but edibility and environmental sustainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition from synthetic polymers to plant-based polymers while maintaining manufacturing precision. The standardized production process for pectin and cardosin microcarriers ensures uniformity and reproducibility, achieving both manufacturing precision and edibility/environmental sustainability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of edible microcarriers enables the efficient and cost-effective production of engineered meat products that are safe for human consumption, addressing the limitations of existing technologies by providing a scalable, animal-product-free solution for cell culture and meat production.
Implementation Method 1
The edible microcarrier may comprise a body comprising cross-linked pectin and an RGD-containing polypeptide
Implementation Method 2
The body may be porous
Data Source
AI summary
Edible microcarriers, including microcarrier beads, microspheres and microsponges, appropriate for use in a bioreactor to culture cells that may be used to form a comestible engineered meat product. For example, the edible microcarriers described herein may include porous microcarriers that may be used to grow cells (e.g., smooth muscle cells) and may be included with the cells in the final engineered meat product, without requiring modification or removal of the cells from the microcarriers. In a particular example, the edible microcarriers may be formed of cross-linked pectin, such as pectin-thiopropionylamide (PTP), and RGD-containing polypeptide, such as thiolated cardosin A. Methods of forming edible microcarriers, methods of using the edible microcarriers to make engineered meat, and engineered meat including the edible microcarriers are also described herein.