Cultivated meat will only scale if cells can grow fast in media that does not cost a fortune. Most animal cells still behave like needy patients that require serum, insulin, and tightly tuned growth factors to stay alive. Ivy Farm Technologies is pushing in the opposite direction. Their latest filing suggests a future where production cells expand quickly, survive stress, and rely on far fewer expensive inputs. That shift matters because media cost remains one of the biggest barriers to affordable cultivated meat.
Engineering Cells That Thrive With Less
The patent (WO2025215354A1) focuses on cells that can grow in media that is serum-free or nearly so. The concept is straightforward. Instead of adding growth factors to convince cells to divide, Ivy Farm Technologies modifies the genes that normally slow growth or trigger cell death. Removing these natural brakes allows cells to divide more easily. At the same time, switching on an internal growth switch gives the cell a constant “keep growing” signal even when the surrounding media is pared back. Some embodiments also disable the genes that push a cell into apoptosis, which is the programmed shutdown that happens when conditions become stressful. That change helps the cells stay alive longer and reach higher densities inside a bioreactor. These shifts are small at the genetic level but meaningful at scale, because media ingredients are among the largest cost drivers in cultivated meat.
Where Oxford Science Meets the Factory Floor
Ivy Farm Technologies grew out of research at the University of Oxford and focuses on producing real mince meat grown outside the animal and free from antibiotics. Their strategy blends licensing, ingredient supply, and future consumer products, all supported by biotechnology that reduces cost and increases reliability. Engineering robust cell lines that perform well in simpler media fits directly into that path, because large-scale mince production depends on cells that divide quickly, handle stress well, and do not rely on expensive supplements to stay productive.
Congratulations to the inventors, James Shelford, Caitlin Doran, Amy Brewer, Rowan Rimington, Florian Hahn, and Thomas Agnew, 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.