Researchers unlock three-molecule “cocktail” for cultivated beef innovation

Scientists in Switzerland have cultivated bovine muscle fibers, which they claim are much closer to real muscle than previous efforts. Using a special “cocktail of molecules,” the team caused precursor cells to develop muscle fibers that closely mimic real meat in structure and function.

The method shows promise for sustainable meat production without slaughter, aligning with growing interest in ethical and climate-conscious food systems.

Researchers at ETH Zurich conducted this study by using “myoblasts” or muscle precursor cells from beef cuts like sirloin and flank, cultivating them in a nutrient-rich medium.

The molecule “cocktail” includes Forskolin, RepSox, and CHIR99021 (FRC) developed by the study’s lead author Ori Bar-Nur, professor of regenerative and muscle biology at ETH. He initially developed the method to study muscle diseases, but is now using it to advance cultivated meat formulations.

When added to precursor cells, FRC prompts them to develop into “functional, contracting muscle fibres” that resemble conventional beef in form and gene and protein expression.

“We are inspired by the potential of this system to contribute to a more ethical production of meat, which is resource-intensive and has a high environmental footprint,” Bar-Nur tells Food Ingredients First.

“Advancing cultivated beef technology could potentially enable reduction of land and water use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions — an unfavorable by-product of the meat industry.”

The study’s model obtains a “higher degree of skeletal muscle formation and maturation in 2D and 3D models,” he notes. This could lead to an increase of muscle mass that could be beneficial for scaling up meat production.

“In addition, the muscle generation process is faster using our conditions, which can in principle reduce production costs.”

The findings are published in Advanced Science.

Cow muscle cells derived using the team’s enhanced media conditions (Image credit: Christine Trautmann).

Mimicking beef taste and texture

The university notes that Bar-Nur has not yet tasted the lab-grown beef since official approval is required for human consumption in Switzerland. However, his colleagues who participated in approved tastings elsewhere describe the taste and consistency as similar to real meat.

The study can also help advance texture development similar to beef. “A key finding of our study is that optimizing media conditions can promote the maturation of bovine muscle fibers to more closely resemble natural muscle fibers in both 2D and 3D formats,” says Bar-Nur.

“The insights gained from this work can serve as a resource for other laboratories seeking to enhance muscle fiber development by refining their own media and culture methods.”

Cultivated meat regulations

Globally, the cultivated meat sector is expanding rapidly. Singapore has already approved lab-grown chicken for commercial sale, but beef remains in development. 

“Start-ups like Aleph Farms have already applied for regulatory approval in Switzerland, while established firms such as Migros, Givaudan, and Bühler Group have launched ‘The Cultured Hub’ to support the cultivated meat industry in Switzerland,” Bar-Nur notes.

However, he emphasizes that regulatory guidelines are still to be “debated, discussed, and refined” in the EU and Switzerland. Commercial sale of cultivated meat products is currently prohibited in Switzerland.

The study aims to contribute to a more ethical production of meat, which is also resource-intensive.

Overcoming commercialization challenges

Despite progress, significant challenges remain. 

“The cell culture medium requires further optimization to make it more affordable and safe for consumption. Additionally, we need to explore ways to produce these muscle fibres in larger quantities,” says Christine Trautmann, a doctoral student in Bar-Nur’s group and one of the study’s two lead authors. 

So far, the researchers say they have produced “only a few grams of muscle tissue,” and scaling production, improving cost efficiency, and navigating regulatory approval will be the next major hurdles.

To bridge the gap between research and market, Bar-Nur is considering launching a start-up to commercialize the technology, with discussions with stakeholders currently taking place.

“Given there are already companies ahead of us with respect to scale up and product development, we wish to target a specific niche within the broad cultivated meat industry,” he concludes.

The Good Food Institute financially supported the study, which received a grant from the Swiss Food Research Association and the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse.