3D Bio-Tissues has been able to create eco-friendly, chemically-defined, animal-free, and cost-effective growth media products – termed the City-Mix™ supplements – to support the commercial market. At present, five different types of City-Mix products are available, which address a range of cell types and applications.

When producing lab-grown meat, City-Mix is added to a bioreactor – along with cells that are extracted from a living cow using a single, painless biopsy – to increase the number of cells. These cells are then added to a cell bank, before being transferred to a ​‘tissue bioreactor,’ which stimulates the cells to turn into the structured fibres that are found in muscles and cultivated meat.

These City-Mix supplements will be more sustainable and cost-effective than media containing fetal bovine serum, meaning the cultivated meat industry will benefit from considerably lower manufacturing costs, simplified supply chains, and increased productivity, whilst being more ethical and environmentally responsible by removing the need for animal-based supplements.

This innovation will help lab-grown meat to become a truly viable, ethical, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional resource-intensive meat production.