Cultivated seafood needs reliable ways to create fish muscle and fat at scale. Much of today’s playbook comes from mammalian biology, which doesn’t translate neatly to fish. A practical method to isolate fish embryonic stem cells and guide them into structured tissues could help close that gap. Better starting cells and more controllable microtissues mean faster experiments and a shorter path to products that feel and taste like real fish.
What the Patent Reveals
Forsea Foods describes a set of methods for isolating fish embryonic stem cells and growing them into organoids that can later be turned into muscle or fat tissue (WO2025210630A1). The patent addresses a key bottleneck: most existing cell isolation protocols were designed for mammals, not for fish.
Instead of relying on enzymes, Forsea’s process uses mechanical dechorionation — gently breaking open the embryo’s protective outer shell (the chorion membrane) using tools like a mortar and pestle. The embryonic cells are then filtered through fine meshes and washed in solutions that mimic the fish’s natural environment. These details are described in broad ranges — for example, mesh sizes between roughly 40–200 micrometers or agitation speeds around 30–150 rpm — reflecting the exploratory nature of early-stage R&D rather than fixed manufacturing parameters.
After isolation, the cells first expand in 2D culture before being transferred to a 3D suspension system, such as a coated flask or bioreactor, with additives to reduce clumping and protect cells from shear stress. The resulting organoids — small, spherical clusters about 50–2000 µm in size — can then be directed toward muscle or fat formation using specific biochemical cues.
For non-technical readers: the chorion membrane is essentially the eggshell surrounding a fish embryo. Dechorionation simply means removing that shell to access the early-stage cells inside — a critical step in obtaining stem cells for research and cultivated meat production.
The Applicant
Forsea Foods Ltd., based in Israel, focuses on cultivated fish. This invention aligns with their strategy to establish fish-specific stem cell platforms and suspension culture methods — foundations for scalable cultivated seafood production.
The Inventors
Congratulations to the inventors — Itay Nakdimon, Carmit Strauss, and Moria Shimoni — for their contribution to the field.
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This post is based on publicly available information. Lab Grown Technologies is not affiliated with the inventors or organizations mentioned.