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 system for producing a comestible cell-based meat product comprising:
a cultivator housed in a growing room, wherein: the cultivator forms part of a controlled environment and is configured to grow non-human cells comprising non-human mesenchymal progeny within the controlled environment;
a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the non-human cells from the growing room to a harvest room while maintaining the controlled environment; and
a centrifuge within the harvest room, the centrifuge configured to harvest 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 system of claim 1 , wherein the centrifuge is configured to harvest the non-human cells by separating the non-human cells from cell culture media.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the harvest room does not share airflow with the growing room that houses the cultivator.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-human cells are washed before or after exposure to air outside of the controlled environment.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cultivator comprises a substrate-free suspension bioreactor system in which the non-human cells grow as suspension cells.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cultivator is in fluid communication with the transfer mechanism such that the non-human cells are able to flow from the cultivator to the transfer mechanism while remaining with the controlled environment.
7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising a valve between the cultivator and the transfer mechanism to control transfer of the non-human cells from the cultivator and the transfer mechanism.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism is configured to cool the non-human cells while transferring them from the cultivator to the harvest room.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a jacketed vessel.
10 . The system 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.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a connection pipe extending from the growing room into the harvest room.
12 . A system for producing a comestible cell-based meat product comprising:
a cultivator housed in a growing room, wherein: the cultivator forms part of a controlled environment and is configured to grow non-human cells comprising non-human mesenchymal progeny within the controlled environment; and
a harvest collector configured to:
transfer the non-human cells from the growing room to a harvest room while maintaining the controlled environment; and
harvest 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.
13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising a centrifuge positioned between the cultivator and the harvest collector, wherein the centrifuge is configured to separate the non-human cells from cell culture media.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the centrifuge is configured to adjust moisture content before harvesting of the non-human cells.
15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the non-human cells are washed before or after exposure to air outside of the controlled environment.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the harvest collector comprises a filter mechanism to separate cell media from the contiguous multicellular masses.
17 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising an equipment-only door between the growing room and the harvest room configured to only allow the harvest collector to pass directly from the growing room to the harvest room.
18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the growing room is configured to meet US Food and Drug Administration standards.
19 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the harvest room is configured to meet US Department of Agriculture standards.
20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the harvest collector:
comprises a vessel that holds the non-human cells and one or more of cell culture media, wash buffer, enrichment media, or other media and buffers; and
is selectively connectable to the cultivator.