With the growing global demand for meat and animal-based proteins, and in light of challenges related to sustainability, ethics, and food safety, cultured meat is emerging as one of the most promising alternatives to traditional animal farming. The aim of the project is to develop bioactive, edible, plant-protein-based fibrous scaffolds optimized for muscle stem cell (MuSC) cultivation and differentiation, intended for cultivated meat applications. The most promising plant-derived proteins for scaffold development include proteins from peas, soybeans, wheat gluten, legumes (e.g., lentils, chickpeas), and seeds (e.g., hemp, sunflower), due to their favorable structural, nutritional, and technological properties. Fibrous scaffolds will be fabricated by electrospinning, stabilized using food-safe cross-linking methods (e.g. genipin, transglutaminase), and surface-functionalized with RGD peptides to enhance cell adhesion and promote myogenic differentiation. The morphological, physicochemical, and biological properties of the scaffolds will be evaluated during the research, as well as their suitability for growing 3D muscle tissue in small-scale bioreactors. The project addresses an important scientific gap: currently, cultivated meat lacks edible, biologically active scaffolds that comply with the EU Novel Food Regulation. It is expected that the scaffolds developed during the project will help ensure structural integrity of the engineered tissue and contribute to sustainable, animal-free protein innovations. The project will also strengthen the competences of early-career researchers and foster interdisciplinary collaboration at the intersection of materials science, tissue engineering, and food technology.
Project funding:
Research Council of Lithuania, Projects carried out by researchers’ teams
Period of project implementation: 2025-12-01 - 2027-11-30
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
Project partners: Centre for Innovative Medicine
