Consumable tissue-like structure generated with muscle cells grown on edible hollow fibers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024010983-A1
Application number	US-202118042037-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Aug 21, 2020
Publication date	Jan 11, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward edible hollow fibers and cartridges and bioreactors comprising the hollow fibers of the present invention, as well as, methods of production of structured clean meat products produced with the hollow fibers, cartridges and bioreactors of the present invention and the structured clean meat products produced by said methods. The macroscopic structure of structured clean meat grown on edible hollow fibers will result in a unique final structure. This final structure will contain a finite amount of fibers per unit area; with meat on the outside of the fibers.

First claim

We claim:

1 ) Edible hollow fibers, comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of hydrocolloids and proteins, having an outer diameter of about 0.2 mm to about 2.0 mm, a porosity of 0% to about 75% and a wall thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.4 mm.

2 ) The hollow fibers of claim 1 , wherein said wall thickness is about 0.08 mm to 0.2 mm.

3 ) The hollow fibers of claim 1 , wherein said porosity is about 40% to about 60%.

4 ) The hollow fibers of claim 1 , wherein said hollow fibers comprise one or more of alginate, cellulose, chitosan, collagen, zein, agar, inulin, gluten, pectin, legume protein, methyl cellulose, pectin, gelatin, tapioca, xanthan gum, guar gum, tara gum, bean gum, plant protein, starch, plant isolates, lipids and phospholipids.

5 ) The hollow fibers of claim 4 , wherein said proteins comprise one of more of corn protein, potato protein, wheat protein, sorghum protein, animal protein, animal protein isolate, beef protein isolate, casein protein and whey protein.

6 ) The hollow fibers of claim 4 , wherein said plant isolates comprise one of more of soy, zein, casein, and wheat protein.

7 ) The hollow fibers of claim 4 , wherein said lipids comprise one or more of free fatty acids, triglycerides, natural waxes and phospholipids.

8 ) The hollow fibers of claim 1 , wherein said hollow fibers comprise one or more legume proteins and one or more hydrocolloids.

9 ) The hollow fibers of claim 1 , each having a first end and a second end wherein said first end and said second end are positionally opposed to each other and, wherein a quantity of said hollow fibers are arranged in essentially in parallel and positioned such that the first ends of said hollow fibers are secured in a first holding device and the second ends of said hollow fibers are secured in a second holding device, the first and second holding devices being oriented essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal orientation of the hollow fibers and being orientated essentially parallel to each other, wherein at least one holding device allows for the flow of fluids to the interior of the hollow fibers, thereby creating a hollow fiber cartridge.

10 ) The hollow fiber cartridge of claim 9 , wherein said hollow fibers are at a density of about 40-about 120 per cm 2 .

11 ) The hollow fiber cartridge of claim 9 , wherein said hollow fibers are at a density of about 60-about 100 per cm 2 .

12 ) The hollow fiber cartridge of claim 9 , wherein said hollow fibers are at a density of about 70-about 90 per cm 2 .

13 ) The hollow fiber cartridge of claim 9 having a void space between the hollow fibers and, wherein the void space between the hollow fibers is about 25%-about 75% of the total volume of the hollow fiber cartridge.

14 ) The hollow fiber cartridge of claim 9 , wherein the void space between the hollow fibers is about 40%-about 60% of the total volume of the hollow fiber cartridge.

15 ) The hollow fiber cartridge of claim 9 , wherein said hollow fiber cartridge is designed to be removably inserted into a housing.

16 ) The hollow fiber cartridge of claim 15 , wherein said housing is part of a bioreactor or bioreactor system.

17 ) A hollow fiber cell culture reactor, comprising;
a) the hollow fiber cartridge of claim 9 ; b) a housing sized to hold said hollow fiber cartridge; c) a medium source fluidly connected to one or more inlets in said housing; d) one or more medium outlets in said housing; and, e) one or more pumps to supply the medium to and/or remove waste medium from said hollow fiber cartridge through said medium inlet(s) and/or outlet(s).

18 ) The hollow fiber cell culture reactor of claim 17 , wherein said inlets are fluidly connected to the interior of said hollow fibers.

19 ) The hollow fiber cell culture reactor of claim 17 , further comprising an automated controller.

20 ) The hollow fiber cell culture reactor of claim 17 , wherein the hollow fiber cartridge comprises hollow fibers at a density of about 20/cm 2 to about 100/cm 2 .

21 ) The hollow fiber cell culture reactor of claim 17 , wherein the hollow fiber cartridge comprises hollow fibers at a density of about 30/cm 2 to about 60/cm 2 .

22 ) A process for producing a meat product, comprising; seeding the void space between the hollow fibers in said hollow fiber reactor of claim 17 with one or more of myocytes, myocyte-like cells or engineered cells expressing one or more myocyte-like characteristics at a density of about 10 5 cells/ml to about 10 8 cells/ml and culturing the cells until achieving about 80%-about 99% confluency.

23 ) The process of claim 22 , additionally comprising removing said hollow fiber cartridge from the hollow fiber cell culture reactor after said cells have achieved about 80%-about 99% confluency.

24 ) The process of claim 23 , additionally comprising removing said first holding device and said second holding device from the first ends and second ends, respectively, of said hollow fibers.

25 ) The process of claim 22 , wherein said cells are cultured until achieving about 85%-about 99% confluency.

26 ) The process of claim 22 , wherein said cells are cultured until achieving about 90%-about 99% confluency.

27 ) The process of claim 22 , additionally comprising seeding the hollow fiber reactor with one or more of adipocytes, adipocyte-like cells or engineered cells expressing one or more adipocyte-like characteristics and/or fibroblasts, fibroblast-like cells or engineered cells expressing one or more fibroblast-like characteristics.

28 ) The process of claim 22 , wherein said process additionally comprises supplying media to the cells through one or both of the first end and second end of the hollow fibers into the interior of the hollow fibers, through the wall of the hollow fibers into the void space between the hollow fibers where said cells are seeded and through one or more of said outlets in said housing.

29 ) The process of claim 22 , further comprising, after the cells achieve confluency, infusing the interior of the hollow fibers and/or any remaining void space between the cells with one or more of fats, flavors, colors, salts and preservatives.

30 ) A structured clean meat product, comprising:
a) 50-90% cultured animal cells; b) 10-30% edible hollow fibers and/or hollow fiber material; c) 1-30% void space, said void space located between and/or interspersed with said cultured animal cells; and d) 1-30% additives.

31 ) A structured clean meat product produced by the process of claim 22 , comprising:
a) 50-90% cultured animal cells; b) 10-30% edible hollow fibers and/or hollow fiber material; c) 1-30% void space, said void space located between and/or interspersed with said cultured animal cells; and d) 1-15% additives.

32 ) The structured meat product of claim 31 , wherein said additives comprise one or more of flavors, texture enhancers, nutritional additives, preservatives and/or antioxidant, and fats and/or oils.

33 ) The structured clean meat product of claim 32 , wherein said flavors are selected from one or more of essential oils, oleoresin (ESO), enzymes (ENZ), natural substances and extractives (NAT), non-nutritive sweetener (NNS), nutritive sweetener (NUTRS), spices,

Assignees

• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Weissenbach Jean-Louis
• Sylvia Ryan
• Von Der Brelie Almut
• Brandl Melanie
• Fesenfeld Michaela

Classifications

• C12N5/0658 Primary

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

• A23J3/18

  from wheat · CPC title

• A23J3/04

  Animal proteins · CPC title

• A23J3/227

  Meat-like textured foods (meat extenders A23L13/00) · CPC title

• C12M25/10

  Hollow fibers or tubes (hollow fiber modules in general B01D63/02) · CPC title