Cultivated meat, grown in a bioreactor relatively than out at the vary, may well be one of the vital giant meals tendencies of the last decade. But it surely’s depending on tech constructed round multiplying yeast and micro organism cells, no longer animal tissue — and Unicorn Biotechnologies needs to modify that with new apparatus created with mass meals manufacturing in thoughts. It’s simply raised $3.2 million to show its prototype bioreactor right into a industrial product.
Despite the fact that we listen about new cultivated meat corporations and investment rounds with frankly superb frequency (this one came about whilst I used to be scripting this!), there are basic questions on whether or not this system of rising meat can scale. The easy reality is that animals like cows are grown in massive environments which are most commonly empty or stuffed with hay; each gram of cultivated meat comes via a dear, advanced system that almost definitely wasn’t designed to try this stuff within the first position.
“Maximum biomanufacturing techniques have been designed and optimized for making micro organism (making enzymes) or yeast (brewing beer) or are taken with making the byproducts of animal cells (vaccines), no longer the animal cells themselves,” mentioned co-founder and CEO of Unicorn Bio, Jack Reid. “The usage of this legacy {hardware} to domesticate meat calls for one to reengineer the cells. Our manner and core conviction is that it’s in fact more straightforward, and in the long run higher, to design new {hardware} techniques aimed to foster the expansion across the cells, relatively than seeking to have compatibility those cells to present engineering techniques.”
In fact it’s no longer like those corporations with giant cash are simply purchasing stuff off the shelf. However the business is transferring immediate and critics have identified that even probably the most wildly positive figures are paltry in comparison to the standard meat business. In the event that they need to alternate the sector, they’ll want to exchange greater than 1% of red meat.
Unicorn objectives to modify that with automation and modularity constructed with scaling in thoughts from the beginning.
“Lately, one of the vital greatest demanding situations for biomanufacturing is bioprocess optimization. It will possibly take years — and even many years — to scale a bioprocess to large-scale bioreactors (consider metal tanks the scale of a small area),” Reid mentioned. Unicorn’s modular manner makes use of many smaller techniques working in parallel; smaller volumes are more straightforward to keep an eye on, and in addition more straightforward so as to add or subtract to satisfy call for or exchange others.
Reid additionally claims a better degree of automation for its machines — which, to be transparent, are nonetheless at prototype level. However bioreactors have been handiest very lately handiest present in biotech and pharmaceutical laboratories and aren’t precisely designed for simple operation and customization.
“We’re making a machine this is computerized end-to-end. To perform it, you don’t want a Ph.D., you merely want to ‘plug in’ your beginning substances, make a selection the product you’re rising and let the machine handle the remainder,” he mentioned. Whilst there’s virtually for sure a bit extra to it than that, the machine will use integrated sensing, system studying and commercial automation tech to this finish. A few of these can already be discovered within the inventions of alternative cultivated meat startups, nevertheless it’s a fast-moving sector.
In the long run Unicorn doesn’t need to make meat itself however act as an enabler for others within the business.
Whilst the potential of cultivated meat is huge (to scale back greenhouse fuel emissions, animal struggling and to extend meals safety in our all of a sudden converting local weather), this may occasionally handiest be discovered if leap forward applied sciences are made to be had to all the gamers organising this box,” mentioned Reid.
If an organization has found out an excellent cellular line or expansion manner however isn’t a professional in engineering bioreactors or nutrient float, they might be capable to arrange Unicorn {hardware} as they scale up relatively than repurposing tech from a unique technology.
Reid disagreed with one of the most extra outspoken critics of the opportunity of cultivated meat, however mentioned it’s true that with nowadays’s generation (which is to mention, the day gone by’s) we will’t in all probability hit the volumes essential to make a dent within the moral and environmental problems basic to elevating animals for slaughter. Innovation is essential to make even the smallest affect.
Symbol Credit: Unicorn Biotechnologies
The $3.2 million seed spherical must assist transfer Unicorn ahead; it was once led by means of Acequia Capital, with participation from SOSV, Marinya Capital, Alumni Ventures, C3, CULT Meals Science and others. They’ve already spent a few of it to rent up a little bit and need to supply an evidence of thought scale system able to generating kilograms of cells by means of the tip of the yr. Pilot initiatives with companions may just start round that point, or in early 2023.
“Even though a lot paintings stays forward,” mentioned Reid, “We retain the conviction that sustained innovation on the intersection of biology, engineering and bioprocess automation will proceed to release tangible applied sciences to assist the cultivated meat ecosystem reach its complete possible.”
