Development of Novel and Sustainable Cell-Cultivated Foods Through Additive Biomanufacturing

Abstract Environmental concerns arising from the requirement to provide sufficient food to an ever-growing population have prompted interest in the development of alternative food products, especially proteins, with increased resource use efficiency compared to traditional agricultural and food processing systems. Food additive biomanufacturing using 3D bioprinting technology with cell-laden bioink holds promise for the production of a large range of novel, sustainable, textured food products (including whole-cut meat and seafood alternatives) but critical knowledge deficiencies include: bioink formulations of various cell types, the optimization of bioprinting parameters, and enhancement of shelf stability. Microbial cells (e.g. filamentous fungi, microalgae) cultivated in bioreactors have a long history in food production but have not yet been applied in food additive biomanufacturing. We propose that the unique properties (e.g., nutrition and texture) of these microorganisms have tremendous potential as 3D bioprinting feedstock and that shelf stability challenges with 3D bioprinted products can be overcome with functional antioxidant ingredients derived from agricultural byproducts. The overall goal of this project is to optimize the production parameters, sustainability, and economic feasibility of microbial-based 3D bioprinted structured food products with enhanced oxidative stability. The specific goals of this project are to: 1. Optimize bioink formulations and bioprinting parameters utilizing proteinaceous and oleaginous filamentous fungi, microalgae, and functional food ingredients. 2. Study the textural profile characteristics of 3D bioprinted products. 3. Assess shelf and oxidative stability of the products 4. Perform TEA and LCA to estimate the economic costs and environmental impact of implementing the food processing operations under study.