Post by account_disabled on Feb 18, 2024 20:33:21 GMT -8
Jimi Biotech says the spontaneously immortalized cell line, powered by its JEVOS artificial intelligence system, has undergone more than 60 passages in a double time of less than 24 hours. He uses cells from the antler tips of a three-year-old Sika deer: older deer are considered to have higher quality antlers, while regeneration is strongest at the tip.
AI-powered cultured meat
The startup notes that deer antlers have significant cultural and dietary importance in China , where they are revered as a premium health product. Antlers can undergo complete regeneration periodically under natural conditions, which has fueled research into their anti-aging benefits, especially antler stem cells, which make up less than 1% of the entire antler structure. Deer antlers have also been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
In January, it closed a 20 million yen (about $3 million) financing round , followed a few months later by another investment round totaling 10 million yen (about $1.45 million). This came after it intro Special Data duced China's first cultured beef in 2022. Shortly after, it also launched the country's first cell-cultured chicken, made without plant scaffolds.
Jimi Biotech is focused on “new forms” of premium meat powered by its high-throughput automated cell evolution platform. “Getting a good cell line is a challenge, so we started building the JEVOS system late last year,” says founder Zhehou Cao. “We have already obtained cell lines from multiple species, including deer, cattle and chickens, demonstrating the initial success of the JEVOS system. In the future, we will continuously source high-value, high-performance cells of various species through JEVOS.”
The path to price parity with cultured deer antler stem cells
The company previously said that it managed to reduce the cost of growing medium to approximately 100 yen ($14), which is only 3% of the average growing price on the market. Now, he says the cost of serum-free media has dropped to 50 yen ($7), and the startup has successfully adapted its own cell lines to grow in suspension at more than 10 million cells per ml.
But he says greater cost constraints have led to a temporary shift toward products that can justify premium prices, such as deer antlers. “While we have significantly reduced the cost of cultured meat, it is important to recognize that achieving price parity will likely take several years,” explains Cao. "Given the high value and popularity of deer antlers, which often sell for tens of thousands of yuan per kilogram or more, we already have a cost advantage."
He added: “In addition, the incorporation of deer antler stem cells can increase the value proposition of our meat offering. We will start by selling deer antler products and, as we continually reduce costs, we will move to selling cultured beef, followed by other more affordable meats, such as pork and chicken.”
China's billion-plus population leads the world in terms of meat consumption, and a survey found that 90% of its citizens are willing to try cultured alternatives. This indicates the potential for domestically grown meat, and while there has been no indication yet of regulatory approval there, Jimi Biotech plans to apply for it next year.
Chinese cellular agriculture company CellX , which opened the country's first large-scale cultured meat factory this month, has also indicated it will apply for regulatory approval. But it will start with Singapore and the United States, the only two countries that have so far approved the sale of cell-cultured meat.
AI-powered cultured meat
The startup notes that deer antlers have significant cultural and dietary importance in China , where they are revered as a premium health product. Antlers can undergo complete regeneration periodically under natural conditions, which has fueled research into their anti-aging benefits, especially antler stem cells, which make up less than 1% of the entire antler structure. Deer antlers have also been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
In January, it closed a 20 million yen (about $3 million) financing round , followed a few months later by another investment round totaling 10 million yen (about $1.45 million). This came after it intro Special Data duced China's first cultured beef in 2022. Shortly after, it also launched the country's first cell-cultured chicken, made without plant scaffolds.
Jimi Biotech is focused on “new forms” of premium meat powered by its high-throughput automated cell evolution platform. “Getting a good cell line is a challenge, so we started building the JEVOS system late last year,” says founder Zhehou Cao. “We have already obtained cell lines from multiple species, including deer, cattle and chickens, demonstrating the initial success of the JEVOS system. In the future, we will continuously source high-value, high-performance cells of various species through JEVOS.”
The path to price parity with cultured deer antler stem cells
The company previously said that it managed to reduce the cost of growing medium to approximately 100 yen ($14), which is only 3% of the average growing price on the market. Now, he says the cost of serum-free media has dropped to 50 yen ($7), and the startup has successfully adapted its own cell lines to grow in suspension at more than 10 million cells per ml.
But he says greater cost constraints have led to a temporary shift toward products that can justify premium prices, such as deer antlers. “While we have significantly reduced the cost of cultured meat, it is important to recognize that achieving price parity will likely take several years,” explains Cao. "Given the high value and popularity of deer antlers, which often sell for tens of thousands of yuan per kilogram or more, we already have a cost advantage."
He added: “In addition, the incorporation of deer antler stem cells can increase the value proposition of our meat offering. We will start by selling deer antler products and, as we continually reduce costs, we will move to selling cultured beef, followed by other more affordable meats, such as pork and chicken.”
China's billion-plus population leads the world in terms of meat consumption, and a survey found that 90% of its citizens are willing to try cultured alternatives. This indicates the potential for domestically grown meat, and while there has been no indication yet of regulatory approval there, Jimi Biotech plans to apply for it next year.
Chinese cellular agriculture company CellX , which opened the country's first large-scale cultured meat factory this month, has also indicated it will apply for regulatory approval. But it will start with Singapore and the United States, the only two countries that have so far approved the sale of cell-cultured meat.