About
Background
In order to be successful, cellular agriculture products must be as good as or better than their animal-derived versions. To achieve this researchers need to thoroughly understand meat, eggs and dairy products to determine what elements provide their desired flavour, aroma, mouthfeel, juiciness and nutrition attributes. Researchers can then fine-tune these elements using a variety of techniques to make improvements.
Research focus areas
Inherent characteristics - there is a need to develop detailed meat assays covering nutrition, nutrient bioavailability, mechanical properties, cell composition, and muscle protein content. The integration of other forms of tissue, most notably fat, must also be further explored as the cultivation of these cells has different requirements than muscle tissue.
Other characteristics - besides inherent characteristics, post-mortem chemistry is also important. This includes changing pH, muscle contraction, protein degradation and relative concentrations of different post-mortem compounds. There are also post-cooking features to consider as different compositions of fats and other organic compounds always influence the cooking process and outcome.
Product enhancements - understanding these characteristics can inform methods to enhance the final products. This can be achieved through bioengineering cells directly (see Cell Optimisation) or by adjusting variables such as scaffold type, growth media ingredients or bioreactor settings. Enhancements can include improving fat profiles, removing cholesterol, adding beneficial vitamins, ensuring optimal bioavailability, minimizing allergenicity and enhancing or combining flavours.
Similar characterisation assays and product enhancement considerations are also relevant for eggs and dairy – these are addressed more closely in ‘Precision Fermentation’.
Understanding all of these is likely to inform future developments in cell lines, growth media optimisation, bioprocess design and harvest techniques.