1. Introduction
There is a critical and immediate need for alternatives to conventional
meat and seafood due to the many environmental issues and externalities
associated with animal protein production [1]. One alternative that
could offer sustainable production is the nascent field of cultivated
meat [2]. The field advances technologies culturing animal cells for
human consumption in a medium that contains nutrients and energy sources
required to support cell growth [3]. Though still pre commercial,
cultivated meat has attracted millions of dollars in investment [4].
While diverse process designs are under development, approaches are
generally composed of four steps.
The first necessary step in cultivated meat production is selecting and
sourcing a starter cell, typically via a non-lethal biopsy. Starter cell
types range from embryonic stem cells to differentiated muscle cells,
although few companies are starting off with fully differentiated muscle
cells [5].
In the second step, the selected starter cell goes through an expansion
bioprocess consisting of many rounds of division in a bioreactor. A
medium composed of amino acids, vitamins, inorganic salts, lipids and
growth factors [5] fuels the bioprocess until the desired mass of
cells has been produced.
The third step differentiates the proliferated starter cells into muscle
cells, fat cells, or connective tissues. A media formulation containing
morphogens drives this differentiation by dictating specific cell
lineages.
Finally, when skeletal tissue is desired, the fourth step structures the
differentiated cells by seeding them into a scaffold, which facilitates
proper assembly, development and, ideally, hypertrophy [5].
Ambitious timelines for cultivated meat product release have suggested
commercialization is only 5-10 years away [6], while other
complementary and reputable reports predict cultivated meat growth will
not eclipse plant-based alternative market share until 2030 [7].
Given the possible extended time horizon before longer term commercial
cultivated meat success and the immediate need to realize associated
sustainability goals, any tools or techniques that can expedite roll-out
would be of considerable value. Computer modeling is one such powerful
tool that has numerous applications in cultivated meat process and
product development.