CytoNest, a start-up born out of the University of Georgia (UGA) in the US, has released its first commercial product, a fibre scaffold that optimises cell manufacturing and tissue engineering.

The product, CytoSurge 3D fiber scaffold, can be used in cultured meat and seafood development. cell research, biopharmaceuticals and cell therapeutics.

Nataraja Yadavalli and Sergiy Minko, CEO and CSO of CytoNest, respectively, created the new product – an edible fibre-based scaffold safe for living tissues that provides a point of contact for cells to adhere to and grow three-dimensionally in high densities. This provides a scalable solution for those working on cultivated meat and seafood.

After nearly a decade of research, publications and patenting, Minko and Yadavalli optimised the technology and built a working prototype in 2019.

The scaffold’s fibres are made from generally recognized as safe (GRAS) materials and formed into individual ultra-long strands through CytoNest’s proprietary fibre drawing technology. The fibres are then fused or overlaid on top of each other to create one layer of the scaffold. With the addition of spacers and more fibre layers, a multilayered, 3D scaffold is formed, on which cell cultures can attach and grow.

These edible scaffolds have use in commercial-scale production of different kinds of adherent cells, as well as cultivated meat and seafood products. Using these scaffolds helps the cells build a structure that mimics the way real meat grows, including how nutrients flow through it. The new product could allow for the production of whole-cut meats – such as fish fillets – at scale.

Yadavalli developed the breakthrough technology for creating nanofibre scaffolds using the new fibre-spinning method. Through R&D on its prototype, CytoNest learned that current commercial nanofibre fabrication technologies are limited to older electrospinning technology.

CSO Minko said: “At that time, Alex Tokarev, a postdoctoral fellow in my lab, was very enthusiastic about this direction. He made a major breakthrough in the development of the new nanofibre spinning technology. Many graduate and undergraduate students were also involved and helped in these developments. These combined efforts and successful developments were very inspiring.”

Minko and Yadavalli were able to investigate the commercial potential for their product through UGA’s Innovation Gateway ‘NSF I-Corps' initiative. After two sessions of its customer-discovery programme, they decided to start CytoNest.

Through grants from the Georgia Research Alliance, the Good Food Institute and the US Department of Agriculture, CytoNest has been able to acquire the necessary tools, lab space, equipment and services needed to make these advancements and release its first product to the marketplace.

Minko added: “It is impossible to underestimate the help and support of UGA, NSF I-Corp, Innovation Gateway and the Georgia Research Alliance, which were critical to establishing and shaping the start-up company”.

This work was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) under Award 2023-51402-39329.

Derek Eberhart, UGA’s associate VP for research and executive director of Innovation Gateway, UGA’s technology transfer organisation, said: “Congratulations to CytoNest on launching their first product and adding to UGA’s legacy of translating research discoveries into products. For the past eight years, UGA has ranked either first or second among US universities for new products brought to the market by companies like CytoNest.”

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