Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40689295›Full record

ArticleCurrent research in food science2025

Animal-free edible scaffolds from soy protein isolate for the scalable production of cultured meat.

Indi Geurs, Maria Olenic, Elly De Vlieghere, Charlotte Grootaert, Charlot Philips, Koen Dewettinck, Fabrice Bray, Christian Rolando, Lieven Thorrez, Sandra Van Vlierberghe and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Current research in food science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Edible Sulfonated Soy Protein Microcarriers for Cultivated Meat Cell Expansion.Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A · 2026
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Indi GeursFood Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Food Technology Safety and Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Maria OlenicTissue Engineering Lab, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven Kulak, Kortrijk, Belgium.
Elly De VliegherePolymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry (CMaC)Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Charlotte GrootaertNutriFOODChem, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Charlot PhilipsTissue Engineering Lab, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven Kulak, Kortrijk, Belgium.
Koen DewettinckFood Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Food Technology Safety and Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Fabrice BrayMiniaturisation pour la synthèse, l'analyse et la protéomique (MSAP), CNRS, Université de Lille, F-59000, Lille, France.
Christian RolandoMiniaturisation pour la synthèse, l'analyse et la protéomique (MSAP), CNRS, Université de Lille, F-59000, Lille, France.
Lieven ThorrezTissue Engineering Lab, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven Kulak, Kortrijk, Belgium.
Sandra Van VlierberghePolymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry (CMaC)Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
John Van CampNutriFOODChem, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Large-scale production of cultured meat requires muscle cell culture in bioreactors, where microcarriers (MCs) support cell attachment, growth, and differentiation. However, most MCs are composed of inedible materials, requiring a cell detachment step, and/or contain animal-derived components, which are undesirable for cultured meat production. Therefore, we developed animal-free edible microcarriers based on soy protein isolate (SPI) that support muscle cell growth. SPI MCs supported cell attachment and growth similar to commercial collagen-coated dextran MCs, as bovine myoblasts expanded 24-fold over 8 days in a bioreactor. Moreover, myoblasts could differentiate into myotubes on the SPI-MCs. Importantly, SPI supported cell attachment in serum-free medium, as opposed to methacrylated gelatin (GelMA). Proteomics analysis revealed that, during SPI processing, cell adhesion peptides become available on the biomaterial, which also partially leach into the cell culture medium and replace serum components. To conclude, our study demonstrates the feasibility of growing and differentiating bovine muscle cells on edible, fully plant-based MCs, providing a scalable system for the production of cultured meat.

Indexed as

Bovine myoblastsCultured meatMicrocarriersPlant-based filmProteomicsSoy protein isolate

Identifiers

PMID40689295
PMCPMC12271769

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.