Researchers from the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture, known as TUCCA, have proposed a practical method to dramatically lower the expense of growing cultured meat. Their findings appear in Cell Reports Sustainability, a scientific journal recognized for its focus on sustainable innovations in biotechnology.
The team engineered bovine muscle cells to produce their own fibroblast growth factors, or FGFs. FGFs are signaling molecules that guide cellular growth in skeletal muscle. Rather than serving as nutrients, FGFs act as messages that tell cells how to behave during tissue development. Lead researcher Andrew Stout explained that the bovine muscle stem cells were reprogrammed to generate these growth factors themselves, reducing reliance on external supplies.
Historically, production relied on adding growth factors from outside the culture medium. These growth factors are produced as recombinant proteins and sold by industrial suppliers. They can account for a significant portion of production costs, sometimes reaching 90 percent or more of total expenses. The need for regular replenishment arises because FGFs degrade quickly within the nutrient solution, necessitating repeated additions every few days.
By enabling cells to self-produce FGFs, the new approach has the potential to slash operating costs substantially. The researchers note that removing this external component from the medium can streamline the process, improving efficiency without compromising product quality. The strategy focuses on cellular behavior and signaling rather than introducing foreign nutrients, aiming to maintain safe and controllable production conditions.
Importantly, the method described does not involve inserting foreign genes into the animal cells. Instead, it relies on precise edits to existing genetic pathways already present in the cells. The team believes a similar approach could translate to other types of meat, including chicken, pork, and fish, since these tissues also rely on FGF signaling for muscle development. This broader applicability could broaden the impact across the cultured meat field, offering a pathway toward more affordable, scalable production across multiple species.
In light of these developments, researchers emphasize that ongoing optimization remains essential. Factors such as culture duration, cell health, and batch-to-batch variability will influence how quickly the approach can be scaled for commercial use. Nonetheless, the core idea—empowering cells to regulate their growth signals—offers a compelling route to reducing costs while preserving product consistency and safety. The work adds to a growing body of evidence that genetic and molecular strategies can improve the economics of cell-based meat without requiring fundamental changes to the production architecture.
As the field advances, stakeholders in biotechnology and food manufacturing will closely watch how these findings translate into pilot-scale operations and, eventually, market-ready products. The potential for lower input costs, combined with robust cellular behavior, positions this approach as a promising contributor to the broader goal of accessible, sustainable alternatives to conventional meat. For now, the focus remains on validating the approach, ensuring reliability across species, and aligning the process with rigorous safety and quality standards. [Citation: Tufts University TUCCA study]