Filter cake-based systems and methods for the cultivation of cells and cell biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11319520-B1
Application number	US-202117481176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2021
Priority date	Sep 21, 2021
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

Provided herein are filter cake-based systems and methods for cultivating cells and cell biomass therefrom. Provided herein is a system for cultivating cells and cell biomass comprising a filter chamber comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet, at least one filter support located within the filter chamber, and a filter cake located on the filter support, wherein the filter cake comprises at least one filter aid and a plurality of cells. Provided herein is a method for optimizing the cultivation of cells and cell biomass, comprising providing a filter support, adding at least one filter aid to the filter support, adding a plurality of cells to the filter aid, wherein the cells and the filter aid together comprise a filter cake, growing the cells into a cell biomass in the filter cake, wherein the filter cake is at least partially compressible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for optimizing cultivation of cells and cell biomass, the method comprising:
providing a filter support;
adding at least one filter aid to the filter support, wherein the at least one filter aid comprises organic fibers of a length of between about 1 μm-about 20 μm, about 20 μm-about 50 μm, about 50 μm-about 80 μm, about 80 μm-about 110 μm, about 110 μm-about 140 μm, about 140 μm-about 170 μm, about 170 μm-about 200 μm, about 200 μm-about 230 μm, about 230 μm-about 260 μm, about 260 μm-about 290 μm, or about 290 μm-about 320 μm;
adding a plurality of cells to the at least one filter aid, wherein the cells and the at least one filter aid together comprise a filter cake; and
growing the cells into a cell biomass in the filter cake, wherein the filter cake is at least partially compressible.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell biomass is a meat product.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising compressing or decompressing the filter cake by varying one or more of flow rate or pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter cake is edible.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter aid is edible or degradable.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter aid comprises at least one compressible filter aid and at least one non-compressible filter aid.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one filter aid is at least partially compressible.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter aid comprises organic fibers with a fiver titer of between about 0.01 dtex-about 120 dtex, about 0.05 dtex-about 60 dtex, about 0.1 dtex-about 30 dtex, about 0.2 dtex-about 15 dtex, or about 0.5 dtex-about 5 dtex.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter aid is added to the filter support at between about 25 g/m 2 -about 12000 g/m 2 , about 50 g/m 2 -about 6000 g/m 2 , about 100 g/m 2 -about 3000 g/m 2 , about 200 g/m 2 -about 1500 g/m 2 , or about 400 g/m 2 -about 750 g/m 2 .

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter support comprises a horizontal filter, a vertical filter, a plate filter, a plate press filter, a mash filter, a cloth filter, a mass filter, or a candle filter.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the filter cake is maintained at between about 10° C. and about 45° C. during growth.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cells are from a species of poultry, game, aquatic, or livestock.

13. A method for establishing perfusion through a growing cell biomass, the method comprising:
seeding cells on an at least partially compressible filter aid;
compressing the cells, the at least partially compressible filter aid, or both;
flowing media through the at least partially compressible filter aid to grow the cells into a cell biomass, whereby growth reduces perfusion over time; and
decompressing the cells, the at least partially compressible filter aid, or both, to increase perfusion of media.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cell biomass is compressed by a fluid pressure or flow of the media.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the media provides nutrients and oxygenation to promote cell growth.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein decompressing the cells, the at least partially compressible filter aid, or both comprises utilizing at least one of a relief valve, a lower pressure media flow, or a flow reduction of the media.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cell biomass, its substrate, or both are decompressed proportionally to the growth of the cell biomass, whereby perfusion is stabilized.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cell biomass, the at least partially compressible filter aid, or both cycle between a compressed state and a decompressed state at a pulsing frequency.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the pulsing frequency is between about 20 seconds to about 20 minutes.

20. A method for optimizing cultivation of cells and cell biomass, the method comprising:
providing a filter support;
adding at least one filter aid to the filter support, wherein the at least one filter aid is added to the filter support at between about 25 g/m2-about 12000 g/m2, about 50 g/m2-about 6000 g/m2, about 100 g/m2-about 3000 g/m2, about 200 g/m2-about 1500 g/m2, or about 400 g/m2-about 750 g/m2;
adding a plurality of cells to the at least one filter aid, wherein the cells and the at least one filter aid together comprise a filter cake; and
growing the cells into a cell biomass in the filter cake, wherein the filter cake is at least partially compressible.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the cell biomass is a meat product.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising compressing or decompressing the filter cake by varying one or more of flow rate or pressure.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one filter aid is edible or degradable.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one filter aid comprises at least one compressible filter aid and at least one non-compressible filter aid.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one filter aid is at least partially compressible.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one filter aid comprises organic fibers of a length of between about 1 μm-about 20 μm, about 20 μm-about 50 μm, about 50 μm-about 80 μm, about 80 μm-about 110 μm, about 110 μm-about 140 μm, about 140 μm-about 170 μm, about 170 μm-about 200 μm, about 200 μm-about 230 μm, about 230 μm-about 260 μm, about 260 μm-about 290 μm, or about 290 μm-about 320 μm.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one filter aid comprises organic fibers with a fiver titer of between about 0.01 dtex-about 120 dtex, about 0.05 dtex-about 60 dtex, about 0.1 dtex-about 30 dtex, about 0.2 dtex-about 15 dtex, or about 0.5 dtex-about 5 dtex.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the filter support comprises a horizontal filter, vertical filter, plate filter, plate press filter, mash filter, cloth filter, mass filter, or a candle filter.

29. The method of claim 20 , wherein a temperature of the filter cake is maintained at between about 10° C. and about 45° C. during growth.

30. The method of claim 20 , wherein the cells are from a species of poultry, game, aquatic, or livestock.

Assignees

• Upside Foods Inc

Inventors

• Mueller-Auffermann Konrad

Classifications

• C12N5/0658

  Skeletal muscle cells, e.g. myocytes, myotubes, myoblasts · CPC title

• C12M25/18

  Fixed or packed bed · CPC title

• C12N2521/00

  Culture process characterised by the use of hydrostatic pressure, flow or shear forces · CPC title

• C12M25/14

  Scaffolds; Matrices (in general C12N5/0068) · CPC title

• C12N2511/00

  Cells for large scale production · CPC title