Probiotic cultivated meat: bacterial-based scaffolds and products to improve cultivated meat

Cultivated meat is emerging to replace traditional livestock industries, which have ecological costs, including land and water overuse and considerable carbon emissions. During cultivated meat production, mammalian cells can increase their numbers dramatically through self-renewal/proliferation and transform into mature cells, such as muscle or fat cells, through maturation/differentiation. Here, we address opportunities for introducing probiotic bacteria into the cultivated meat industry, including using them to produce renewable antimicrobials and scaffolding materials. We also offer solutions to challenges, including the growth of bacteria and mammalian cells, the effect of probiotic bacteria on production costs, and the effect of bacteria and their products on texture and taste. Our summary provides a promising framework for applying microbial composites in the cultivated meat industry.