Harvesting cell-based meat
This disclosure describes methods for growing cells in a controlled environment in a growing room, transporting the cells to a harvest room, and removing the cells from the controlled environment in the harvest room. The disclosed method can limit exposure of cells to contaminants by maintaining a controlled environment through cell growth and additional processing. For instance, the cells may be washed and cooled within the controlled environment. The cells are transferred to a harvest room where they are harvested and removed from the controlled environment.
1. A method for producing a comestible cell-based meat product comprising:
growing non-human cells comprising non-human mesenchymal progeny in a cultivator within a controlled environment, wherein the cultivator is housed in a growing room;
transferring the non-human cells from the growing room to a harvest room while maintaining the controlled environment; and
harvesting the non-human cells by removing the non-human cells from the controlled environment and exposing the non-human cells to air outside of the controlled environment for a first time since growing the non-human cells in the cultivator while in the harvest room.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlled environment comprises an enclosed environment.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvest room does not share airflow with the growing room that houses the cultivator.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the controlled environment comprises blowing sterile air to act as a barrier to reduce or prevent contamination.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the non-human cells from the growing room to the harvest room while maintaining the controlled environment comprises transferring the non-human cells from the growing room to the harvest room in a harvest collector that maintains the controlled environment.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein harvesting the non-human cells comprises opening the harvest collector and exposing the non-human cells to the air outside of the controlled environment.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the non-human cells from a growing temperature to a refrigeration temperature while maintaining the controlled environment.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein cooling the non-human cells comprises washing the non-human cells with a cooled wash buffer.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein cooling the non-human cells comprises passing the non-human cells through a heat exchanger.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein cooling the non-human cells comprises cooling the non-human cells while transferring the non-human cells from the growing room to the harvest room.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein cooling the non-human cells while transferring the non-human cells from the growing room to the harvest room comprises transferring the non-human cells within a jacketed vessel.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a configuration of the growing room and a configuration of the harvest room prevent a person from passing directly from the growing room to the harvest room.
13. A method for producing a comestible cell-based meat product:
growing non-human cells in suspension in a controlled environment in a growing room;
transferring the non-human cells from the growing room to a harvest room while maintaining the controlled environment; and
harvesting the non-human cells by removing the non-human cells from the controlled environment and exposing the non-human cells to air outside of the controlled environment while in the harvest room.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein transferring the non-human cells from the growing room to the harvest room while maintaining the controlled environment comprises moving the non-human cells from a cultivator to a harvest collector.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising centrifuging the non-human cells to adjust moisture content before harvesting the non-human cells.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising washing the non-human cells by:
rinsing the non-human cells in a wash buffer in the controlled environment; and
filtering the wash buffer and the non-human cells to remove the wash buffer in the controlled environment.
17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising adding enrichment media to the non-human cells.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein harvesting the non-human cells comprises utilizing centrifugation to separate the non-human cells from cell culture media.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising drying the harvested non-human cells.
20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising cooling the harvested non-human cells.