METHOD FOR PRODUCING TISSUE ENGINEERED MEAT FOR CONSUMPTION
A non-human tissue engineered meat product and a method for producing such meat product are disclosed. The meat product comprises muscle cells that are grown ex vivo and is used for food consumption. The muscle cells may be grown and attached to a support structure and may be derived from any non-human cells. The meat product may also comprise other cells such as fat cells or cartilage cells, or both, that are grown ex vivo together with the muscle cells.
1 - 13 . (canceled)
14 . A method of providing nutrition to a subject comprising providing the subject with a non-human meat product produced by the following steps:
culturing non-human muscle cells ex vivo;
seeding the non-human muscle cells onto a support structure; and
growing the non-human muscle cells to produce said non-human meat product, wherein said non-human meat product is suitable for consumption, and wherein said subject consumes said non-human meat product to obtain nutrition therefrom.
15 . (cancelled)
16 . The method in claim 14 further comprising the step:
exposing the non-human muscle cells to an electric or oscillating current.
17 . The method in claim 14 further comprising the step:
adding nutrients to be incorporated into the non-human meat products.
18 . The method in claim 14 wherein the non-human muscle cells are derived from animals selected from the group consisting of mammals, birds, fishes, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians.
19 . The method in claim 14 wherein the non-human meat product is substantially free from harmful microbial contamination.
20 . A method of producing non-human meat for consumption comprising the steps:
co-culturing non-human muscle cells and non-human fat cells ex vivo;
seeding the non-human muscle cells and the non-human fat cells to a support structure; and growing the non-human muscle cells and the non-human fat cells to produce a non-human meat product.
21 . A method of producing non-human meat for consumption comprising the steps of:
culturing non-human muscle stem cells ex vivo;
seeding the non-human muscle stem cells to a support structure;
treating the non-human muscle stem cells with fatty acids to trans-differentiate the non-human muscle stem cells into adipocytes; and
growing the adipocytes to produce a non-human meat product.
22 . A method of producing non-human meat products for consumption comprising the steps:
culturing non-human cartilage cells ex vivo;
seeding the non-human cartilage cells to a support structure;
culturing non-human muscle cells together with the non-human cartilage cells on or around the support structure; and
growing the non-human muscle cells to produce a non-human meat product.
23 . The method in claim 20 wherein the non-human cartilage cells have been exposed to mechanical stress.
24 . The method in claim 14 wherein the non-human muscle cells are skeletal muscle cells.
25 . The method in claim 14 wherein the non-human muscle cells are derived from pluripotent or totipotent non-human stem cells.
26 . The method of claim 14 further comprising the step:
seeding non-human fat cells onto said support structure,
wherein said non-human fat cells grow in conjunction with said non-human muscle cells to produce said non-human meat product.
27 . The method of claim 26 wherein said nonhuman fat cells are derived from pluripotent or totipotent non-human stem cells.
28 . The method of claim 14 further comprising the step:
seeding non-human cartilage cells onto said support structure,
wherein said non-human cartilage cells grow in conjunction with said non-human muscle cells to produce said non-human meat product.
29 . The method of claim 28 wherein said non-human cartilage cells are derived from pluripotent or totipotent non-human stem cells.