Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Recombinant Collagen I Peptide Microcarriers for Cell Expansion and Their Potential Use As Cell Delivery System in a Bioreactor Model
Published on: February 7, 2018
Recombinant collagen in the era of cellular agriculture
Yongjie Zhou1, Giuseppe Valacchi2, Yan Zhang3
1Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
Abstract:
Collagen is a foundational protein in both native tissues and engineered biomaterials. As cellular agriculture redefines protein production, recombinant collagen (RCOL) is emerging as a viable alternative to animal-derived collagen. RCOL offers molecular control, species-independent scalability, and integration into engineered cell systems. In this context, RCOL supports a closed-loop system: it is both a product of and an enabler for cellular agriculture, powering applications from cultivated meat to regenerative medicine. However, its performance is constrained by post-translational modifications (PTMs), including hydroxylation, glycosylation, and crosslinking, which govern triple-helix stability, fibrillogenesis, and bioactivity. This review discusses emerging strategies (enzyme coexpression, cotranslational incorporation, genetic modification, genetic code expansion, and photo-crosslinking) to bridge the PTM gap and advance RCOL platforms for cellular agriculture.
Related Concept Videos
Fibril-associated Collagen
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...
Recombinant DNA
Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina
A type IV collagen molecule has six alpha chains which can...
Collagens are the Major Structural Proteins of ECM
Connective tissue proper includes loose...

