Using AI and machine learning to boost research into cultivated meat

A startup is hoping to speed up development of the technology in the pet food industry

Spotted: Cultivated meat is ‘real’ meat that is grown in the lab from animal cells. Today, the industry is in its infancy, and there remains uncertainty about its future trajectory. However, some commentators believe it could be significant, with McKinsey forecasting that the global market will be worth $25 billion by 2030.

Much of the focus has been on cultivated meat for human consumption. But Vienna-based startup BioCraft is focusing instead on the pet food market, and is doing so by deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning to tackle one of the key bottlenecks in the commercialisation of cultivated meat.

Today, the main pitfalls for cultivated meat innovators lie in the research and development process. Now, BioCraft is learning about the biochemical machinery of animal cells by using algorithms similar to those that have been deployed by the pharmaceutical industry to identify new drugs. The company’s tool collects and crunches data from scientific studies and databases to generate insights into potential nutrient inputs that can enhance biological processes essential to the production of cultivated meat.

By using its AI tool, BioCraft is reducing the number of lab experiments it needs to hone its products, while avoiding expensive ingredients and those that may raise eyebrows among regulators.

Other cultivated meat innovations spotted by Springwise include a plant-based growth factor for cultured meat, cultivated pork made using microalgae, and cultivated seafood.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead