Genome-scale metabolic models in cultivated meat: advances, challenges, and future directions

Cultivated meat is an emerging field that integrates stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and bioprocessing to create a sustainable alternative to conventional meat. However, its widespread adoption faces key metabolic challenges, including the need for serum-free media, optimization of cell line–specific growth conditions, and enhanced cellular engineering strategies. GEnome-scale Metabolic models (GEMs) have been instrumental in optimizing metabolic conditions for Chinese hamster ovaries, a powerhouse species for biomanufacturing, and they can be adapted to be used for cultivated meat in the same way. These models facilitate the transition to cost-effective, serum-free media and improve biomass production through metabolic flux analysis. Future advancements will require expanding publicly available metabolic data sets, refining cell line–specific models, and integrating transcriptomic and proteomic data to enhance predictive accuracy. By leveraging GEMs, cultivated meat production can overcome current limitations, paving the way for a scalable, sustainable, and economically viable alternative to traditional meat.