The Cultured Hub expands services to include plant cell cultures

(CONNECT) The Culture Hub, a joint project of Migros, Givaudan and the Bühler Group, hosted its first Cultured Plant Cell event. At the meeting, industry representatives, researchers and start-ups discussed how alternative ingredients in plant production can complement traditional supply chains, according to a press release.

In the past, The Culture Hub has focused on the production of cultured meat. With the expansion of the portfolio, plant cell cultures are now also to be developed for high-quality ingredients such as cocoa, coffee and citrus fruits. "The demand for alternative, climate-resilient ingredients is growing rapidly and plant cell culture is emerging as a credible sourcing platform," Yannick Jones, CEO of The Cultured Hub, is quoted as saying in the press release. "However, this area is still associated with high costs and complex technical challenges. By providing a shared bioprocess infrastructure and collaborative environment, The Cultured Hub enables both start-ups and corporates to scale more efficiently."

Several companies presented their innovations in the field of plant cell cultures at the meeting. These included Ergo Bioscience, Coffeesai, Phyton Biotech, Spicy Cells, Kokomodo, Food Brewer, Celleste Bio and GALY.

Plant cell cultivation is a cost-intensive process influenced by various factors. The Cultured Hub's expanded offering directly addresses these challenges by providing access to advanced bioprocessing equipment, expert process development support and a neutral platform for collaboration, according to the release ce/ww