Advanced decisional tools for large-scale cultured meat facilities

随着人们对肉类养殖的伦理和环境担忧的增加，迫切需要找到传统动物蛋白来源的新的和可持续的替代品。培养肉是通过从干细胞中工程肌肉和脂肪组织而在体外培养出来的肉。它是传统肉类生产方法的一种无残忍和环保的替代方法。然而，栽培肉类目前在制造商业上可行的产品方面面临着紧迫的挑战，因为所涉及的单元操作(生物反应器)是新颖的，并且没有很好地描述。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以及基因和细胞疗法的制造工艺上，这些工艺包含了具有良好特征的单元操作。为了帮助新型肉类产品的商业化，需要开发与养殖肉类生产有关的生物系统的数学模型。该项目的目的是开发在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、热量和质量传输)的混合(机械和非机械)模型。该模型将被用来描述养分转化为生物质的特征。还将考虑工艺参数对产品质量和细胞表型的影响。然后，这些模型将与计算决策工具相结合，从而能够预测不同的经济参数，如货物成本、设施占地面积和固定资本投资。研究方法将涉及干细胞生物反应器新模型的开发，以及成熟方法的新应用。一体化的装置运行模式将有助于在工艺开发过程中对关键工艺参数进行决策，提高经济可行性和生产率。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。它也与“制造未来”这一更广泛的研究领域相一致。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进行。

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).