Advanced decisional tools for large-scale cultured meat facilities

适用于大型养殖肉设施的先进决策工具

• 批准号: 2445126
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2445126
• 关键词: Advanced; decisional; tools; large; scale

With a rise in ethical and environmental concerns regarding meat farming, there is an urgent need to find novel and sustainable alternatives to traditional animal protein sources. Cultured meat is meat that has been grown in vitro by engineering muscle and fat tissues from stem cells. It is a cruelty-free and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional meat production methods. However, cultivated meat currently faces pressing challenges regarding the manufacture of commercially viable products, as the unit operations (bioreactors) involved are novel and not well characterized. Mathematical models, coupled with decisional tools, can provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by production facilities of novel biological products. However, until now, these methods have mainly focussed on manufacturing processes of biopharmaceuticals, as well as of gene and cell therapies, which incorporate well characterized unit operations. To help with commercialization of novel meat products, there is a need for development of mathematical models of biological systems involved in the production of cultured meat. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical models of unit operations used during the production of cultivated meat. This will include a hybrid (mechanistic and non-mechanistic) model of biochemical reactions and physical processes (fluid dynamics, heat and mass transport) occurring within a stem cell bioreactor. The model will be used to characterize nutrient conversion into biomass. The impact of process parameters on product quality and cell phenotype will also be considered. These models will be then coupled with a computational decisional tool, which will enable prediction of different economical parameters such as cost of goods, facility footprint, and fixed capital investment. The research methodology will involve development of novel models of stem cell bioreactors, as well as novel applications of well-established methods. The integrated unit operation model will facilitate decision-making regarding key process parameters during process development, enhancing economic feasibility and productivity. This project is highly interdisciplinary and falls within the EPSRC biomaterials and tissue engineering, mathematical biology, mathematical analysis, manufacturing technologies, engineering design, operational research, and synthetic biology research areas. It also aligns with the "Manufacturing the Future" broader research area. The project will be carried out in collaboration with scientists and engineers at Ivy Farm Technologies Limited (Oxford, United Kingdom).

随着对肉类养殖伦理和环境问题的关注，迫切需要找到新的和可持续的替代传统动物蛋白来源。人造肉是通过从干细胞中提取肌肉和脂肪组织，在体外培养出来的肉。这是一种无残忍和环保的传统肉类生产方法的替代品。然而，养殖肉类目前面临着制造商业上可行产品的紧迫挑战，因为所涉及的单元操作（生物反应器）是新颖的，并且没有很好地表征。数学模型与决策工具相结合，可以为新型生物制品生产设施所面临的挑战提供有价值的见解。然而，到目前为止，这些方法主要集中在生物制药的制造过程，以及基因和细胞疗法，其中包括表征良好的单元操作。为了帮助新型肉制品的商业化，需要开发涉及培养肉生产的生物系统的数学模型。该项目的目的是开发养殖肉类生产过程中使用的单元操作的数学模型。这将包括在干细胞生物反应器内发生的生化反应和物理过程（流体动力学、热量和质量传递）的混合（机械和非机械）模型。该模型将用于描述养分转化为生物量的特征。工艺参数对产品质量和细胞表型的影响也将被考虑。然后，这些模型将与计算决策工具相结合，该工具将能够预测不同的经济参数，如商品成本、设施占地面积和固定资本投资。研究方法将包括开发干细胞生物反应器的新模型，以及成熟方法的新应用。一体化的单元操作模式将有利于工艺开发过程中关键工艺参数的决策，提高经济可行性和生产力。该项目是高度跨学科的，属于EPSRC生物材料和组织工程、数学生物学、数学分析、制造技术、工程设计、运筹学和合成生物学研究领域。它还与“制造未来”更广泛的研究领域保持一致。该项目将与常春藤农场技术有限公司（英国牛津）的科学家和工程师合作开展。