Roslin Technologies, a key investment by Milltrust’s British Innovation Fund, focuses on the science of sustainable protein.
Roslin Technologies’ main aim is to develop ethical protein alternatives to traditionally produced meat. The company does this using their novel stem cell platform to produce induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines for various species.
From humans to animals
Roslin’s stem cell unit, Animal Cells, was established in 2018 with Dr Joe Mee spearheading the work. The team combined their focus on sustainable protein and expertise in animal cell culture to investigate the effects of genome editing on specific cellular targets. They started by creating novel genomic editing technologies, however soon realised the potential application of iPS cell lines for creating cultivated meat products.
While iPS cell lines are not a new concept for human research, very little has been translated across into animal research, especially for larger animals that are important livestock species. Roslin Technologies’ cell lines are bespoke to livestock animals, often from recalcitrant species.
Unique offering
Roslin Tech’s iPS cell lines are a unique offering. They offer the ability to produce sustainable, slaughter-free, antibiotic-free, environmentally friendly, high quality nutritious cultivated meat products.
They are immortal lines, with no need for repeat sampling from animals. Not only does this improve animal welfare and allow for harm-free growth, but it also ensures that the quality of the cell lines does not need to be repeatedly assessed and evaluated. Throughout the growth cycle, cells are produced in a harm-free environment. The team at Roslin has produced serum-free growth media, to ensure that the production process does not involve the use of materials that are derived directly from animals.
Images courtesy Roslin Technologies
Lines in development
Once Roslin’s iPS cell lines are generated, the expertise of the team enables them to confirm differentiation into cells of interest (such as fat and muscle). Roslin also ensures the cell lines’ longevity and durability to withstand multiple passages – key attributes for their use in cultivated meat products.
With porcine lines already available for use in commercial product development, Roslin’s cell lines are now under licence with multiple commercial customers. Roslin Technologies is working on further species lines for release later in 2021 – find out more about the firm’s iPS cell lines and their uses on Roslin’s dedicated page for Cultivated Meat.
Current Fund Raise Opportunity
– Roslin Technologies is currently raising a Series A funding round, closing in March 2022
– Funds used to scale up current platforms, develop our pipeline and accelerate sales
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