A research team from the University of Tokyo in Japan developed a bioreactor that simulates a circulatory system, capable of delivering nutrients and oxygen to artificial tissues, and successfully grew more than 10 grams of chicken muscle tissue. The results were recently published in the top journal "Trends in Biotechnology" in the field of biotechnology, providing a new method for the production of cultured meat.
The research team used a perfusable hollow fiber bioreactor (HFB) to produce whole cultured meat through a top-down strategy. This system optimizes cell distribution, alignment and shrinkage, thereby improving meat texture and taste. Traditional methods are difficult to construct centimeter-thick tissues because diffusion alone cannot maintain cell survival over a large area. Hollow fibers simulate the function of blood vessels and can effectively transport nutrients, solving this problem.
In the experiment, the team used HFB composed of 50 hollow fibers to grow centimeter-scale chicken skeletal muscle tissue. In addition, they also used a robot-assisted assembly system to manufacture HFB containing 1,125 fibers, successfully producing a whole piece of chicken weighing more than 10 grams. These hollow fiber technologies are mature and have been widely used in water purifiers and medical dialysis equipment.
Cultured meat is seen as a sustainable and ethical alternative to conventional meat, but replicating the texture and flavor of whole cuts of meat has been a technical bottleneck. This research uses structured cultivation technology to make meat closer to natural muscle tissue, which is expected to accelerate the commercialization of cultured meat. In addition, the technology may also have applications in the fields of regenerative medicine, drug testing, and biohybrid robotics.