Designing cellular building blocks

2019 – 2021

Dr. Machluf is designing a cultivated meat platform based on scalable cellular building blocks and matching processing methodologies.

PRODUCTION PLATFORM: Cultivated

TECHNOLOGY SECTOR:  Scaffolding

Gfi's competitive research grants program badge, featuring a whole cut of meat within a magnifying glass representing research

Project aims

This project aims to characterize two biomaterials for cellular building block applications. It will also develop oleogel microparticles for incorporation into cultivated meat to improve texture attributes. By combining cellular building blocks and oleogel microparticles, the research will produce thick-cut cultivated meat on fibrous scaffolds.

This work will create a scalable process for the creation of complex, thick-cut cultivated meat. It will also develop a platform for synthesis of cellular building blocks and oleogel microparticles to produce a wide variety of meat forms.

Principal researcher

Headshot of gfi grantee dr. Marcelle machluf, dean, faculty of biotechnology and food engineering, technion – israel institute of technology, israel

Dr. Marcelle Machluf

Dean, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel

Dr. Machluf has experience combining material engineering and life sciences to develop disease treatments and advanced regenerative medicine. She applies her expertise to gene therapy, drug delivery systems, cell bioencapsulation, and regenerative medicine. Her work leverages natural mechanisms to find safe technological approaches to combating diseases.

Research grant program badge

Page

Research grants

Learn about cutting-edge alternative protein research funded by GFI. Find funding opportunities for your own research.

Related research

Illustration representing marbled cultivated beef

Developing marbled cultivated beef

GFI is developing marbled cultivated beef with Dr. Amy Rowat at University of California, Los Angeles

3d printer in action, representing bioprinting concept

3-D printing bioinks

Learn about GFI grantee Dr. Sara Oliveira’s work 3D bioprinting scaffolds for cultivated meat the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory in Portugal.

Plant cells under a microscope, representing scaffolding for cultured meat

Plant-based scaffolds

GFI is building plant-based tissue scaffolds for cultivated meat with Dr. Masatoshi Suzuki at University of Wisconsin, Madison

Explore research opportunities

  • Cultivated icon Cultivated

Incorporating growth factors into scaffolds to reduce costs and introduce spatial heterogeneity

Growth factors (GFs) can be incorporated into scaffolds as a strategy for both reducing costs and improving product quality of cultivated meat. Open-access research is needed to test the feasibility…

Read more
  • Cultivated icon Cultivated

Scaffolds and structural approaches to optimize fat distribution and content in cultivated meat

The inclusion of fat and marbling in cultivated meat is likely to increase its flavor, texture, and consumer appeal. Structural approaches using edible microcarriers, hydrogels, and 3D bioprinting present promising…

Read more
  • Cultivated icon Cultivated
  • Plant-based icon Plant-Based

Plant-based scaffolds to improve cultivated meat nutrition

A variety of plant-based scaffolds present the opportunity to combine the natural nutritional and structural benefits of plants with the taste and high protein of cultivated meat. Bacterial nanocellulose from…

Read more