Development of Cell Culture Media for Cultivated Meat Production

The culture medium is a central part of the cultivated meat technology, from biological, economical, and safety perspectives. Many cues to drive proliferation or differentiation of cells relevant for cultivated meat are biochemical and are therefore part of the medium. Traditionally, these cues came from fetal bovine serum (FBS), but that has been replaced by a set of components, often of recombinant origin. The culture medium is the costliest input in cultivated meat and therefore subject to intense efforts to reduce cost through simplification, by downgrading components, by replacing components with cheaper alternatives, and by being cognizant of appropriate timing of administration. In addition, reducing the volume of medium per kg of output needed is a subject of research and development. These modifications are all bounded by the need for culture medium to be food-safe and preferably chemically defined. Importantly, the use of medium needs to be as efficient as possible through smart feeding and judicious medium regimes to reduce waste to a minimum. Metabolic models and AI tools will further facilitate medium development leading to less experimental waste. It is expected that this progress will continue for many years leading to ever better media at lower cost, enabling commercialization of cultivated meat.