Based on fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2, bFGF)
- ability to induce cell proliferation and maintain cells in their undifferentiated state
- essential component in both stem cell culture and cultured meat media
- native FGF2 is intrinsically unstable and therefore requires to be added to the media often and in high concentrations
FGF2-STAB® MEAT
- Engineered protein with improved stability and longevity
- Cost-effective as lower concentration is required in the media
- Patented molecule (WO2017089016A1)
- Called FGF2-G3 in publications
- Suitable for cultured meat applications – possibility of reformulation according to the customer’s specs
- REGULATORY: FGF2-STAB is considered a processing aid with no regulatory requirements limiting its use in cultured meat production
- Available in both bovine/porcine form, fish forms (salmon, eel and tuna/grouper) and human form
- Option of supply/collaboration/license agreements
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
- Much lower dosage needed (5- to 20-times)
- Longer half-life (50-times)
- Fully retained biological activity
- No need for stabilizing additives
- Animal-free product
01
Lower dosage required
Measured by NIH/3T3 fibroblast cell proliferation
* 5-times lower dosage required, but up to 20-times lower dosage required if used in B8 media formulation (Kuo et al., 2020)
02
50-times longer half-life
Measured by activation of ERK in human ESC CCTL14 culture
03
Enhanced stability in cell proliferation assay
Tested in BAF3 cells expressing FGFR2c receptor
04
Temperature stability enhanced by 19°C
Measured by circular dichroism spectroscopy
VISION
- FGF2-STAB® Meat is ready to become a game changer in the cultured meat space as a highly effective and cost-efficient product with global traction
- FGF2 is a key component of cultured meat media representing around 60% of media cost when wild-type FGF2 is used
- Scale-up of cultured meat production will require significant reduction of media cost
- According to the regulatory agencies, growth factors will be considered processing aid in the cultured meat process – therefore no regulatory requirements are limiting the use of our engineered molecule
Possibility of reformulation according to customers’ needs
Open to agreements for supply / collaborations / licenses
Literature
Dvorak P, Bednar D, Vanacek P, et al. Computer-assisted engineering of hyperstable fibroblast growth factor 2. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2018;115(4):850-862. doi:10.1002/bit.26531
Koledova Z, Sumbal J, Rabata A, et al. Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Protein Stability Provides Decreased Dependence on Heparin for Induction of FGFR Signaling and Alters ERK Signaling Dynamics. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2019;7:331. Published 2019 Dec 12. doi:10.3389/fcell.2019.00331
Kuo HH, Gao X, DeKeyser JM, et al. Negligible-Cost and Weekend-Free Chemically Defined Human iPSC Culture. Stem Cell Reports. 2020;14(2):256-270. doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.12.007
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