"Sustainable Society" mission area: Full-scale R&D Project

Small-start Type: Full-scale R&D Projects

Development of the production technology for next generation-meat using 3D tissue engineering techniques

Project Leader

TAKEUCHI Shoji

Prioritized Theme	Creation of innovative food production technologies responding to future changes in climate and social demands
R&D Period	2020.04～2025.03（Feasibility Study: 2018.11～2020.03）
Grant Number	JPMJMI20C1
Project Summary	Summary(PDF:184KB)

Summary:
This project aims to establish the technology for the industrial production of cultured steaks using bovine muscle cells. In order to sustainably produce cultured steaks, it is necessary to establish methods for the low-cost and sustainable mass culture of bovine myoblasts, the fabrication of cm-size mature skeletal muscle tissues, and the evaluation of their safety and taste. We will solve these problems by advancing and combining the current technologies owned by the R&D team, such as algaebased culture medium technology, floating mass culture technology, 3D skeletal muscle tissue construction technology, and food evaluation technology.

For the development of cultured meat, the major focus has been on the production of minced meat, and the cultured steaks has not yet been achieved. However, since steaks has higher consumer preference and higher unit price, it is assumed that cultured steaks will have higher possibility to generate real-world impacts. The cultured steaks that solved the above problems will be the next-generation foods capable of contributing to a sustainable and healthy society.

R&D Team

[Leading Institution]
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

[Collaborators]
Tokyo Women's Medical University, University of Tsukuba, Waseda University,
Osaka University, NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS CO., LTD

Project HQ

Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), The University of Tokyo
4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, JAPAN

* This project is launched by integrating the following feasibility studies;
"Innovative cultured meat production system using algae and animal cells" (SHIMIZU Tatsuya), "Development of Automatic Production Technology for The Best Safety Cultured Meat in the World by Tissue Engineering Approach" (MATSUSAKI Michiya) and "Development of the production technology for next generation-meat using 3D tissue engineering techniques" (TAKEUCHI Shoji)