METHODS FOR PREPARING A CELL-BASED PRODUCT
The apparatuses described herein relate to preparation of a meat product. Apparatuses, systems comprising the apparatuses, and methods of making and use the systems and apparatuses are described herein. These are useful for controlling one or more of growth on and separation of a meat product from an enclosed substrate. The apparatuses and systems are configured to receive fluid and grow the meat product and/or separate the meat product from the substrate in a scalable manner.
1 . A method of growing a cell mass, comprising:
a) growing the cell mass on a substrate of an apparatus; and
b) separating the cell mass from the substrate in a continuous sheet of cells held together by one or more of cell-to-cell interactions and extracellular matrix generated by the cells.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is perpendicular to a ground surface.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is angled relative to a ground surface.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is curved around a longitudinal axis.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the substrate is angled relative to the longitudinal axis by 5 or more degrees.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein growing the cell mass includes delivering fluid substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering fluid between adjacent substrates.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein separating the cell mass comprises directing fluid at an angle relative to the substrate.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the fluid from the apparatus prior to separating the cell mass from the substrate.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering fluid through a fluid diffuser.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the fluid diffuser is configured to deliver a substantially uniform or laminar flow across a surface of the substrate.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the fluid diffuser comprises one or more openings.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein delivering the fluid includes distributing the fluid to the substrate in a predetermined flow pattern using a tapered surface of the fluid diffuser.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the tapered surface comprises one or more of a concave shape, conical shape, frustum shape, stepped shape, flared shape, or some combination thereof.
15 . A method for growing a cell-based product, comprising:
providing an enclosure having a cavity and a substrate, wherein the substrate is non-horizontal and non-vertical relative to a ground surface;
circulating media comprising cells across the substrate to cause one or more cells to adhere to the substrate;
providing nutritious media to the one or more cells using a first flow rate; and
harvesting the one or more cells using a second flow rate.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising recirculating unadhered cells across the substrate.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate has two sides and circulating the media comprising the cells causes the one or more cells to adhere to both sides of the substrate.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising rotating the substrate while circulating the media comprising the cells to seed the one or more cells on both sides of the substrate.
19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising circulating oxygen through the enclosure.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein harvesting comprises directing the one or more cells into a second enclosure where fluid is at least partially drained.