A bovine plasma-derived serum substitute enables continuous manufacturing of cultivated fish biomass

ABSTRACT: Cultivated fish meat offers a sustainable solution to marine stock depletion, yet industrial scalability is limited by the prohibitive cost of fetal bovine serum (FBS). We developed a cost-effective bovine plasma-derived serum substitute (bPCPE-LTUS) through low-temperature ultrasonication. This physical processing method attenuates complement and enzymatic liabilities while preserving essential growth-promoting cytokines and carrier proteins. Proteomic profiling identified a distinct secreted factor-enriched landscape in bPCPE-LTUS that effectively supports cell adhesion and proliferation. Long-term culture assays and transcriptomic analysis confirmed that 5% bPCPE-LTUS maintains stable expansion (>100 passages) and preserves the capacity for targeted myogenic and adipogenic differentiation in fish satellite cells. By integrating this supplement with edible gelatin microcarriers in a continuous 16 L stirred-tank bioreactor workflow, we achieved a cumulative output of 4.1 × 1010 cells and 1,962.18 g of wet biomass over a 47-day production campaign. The harvested biomass was formulated into structured fish cakes exhibiting nutritional profiles and textures comparable to conventional fillets. Crucially, bPCPE-LTUS enabled a 30-fold reduction in production costs, decreasing from over US$1,553.67/lb to US$50.48/lb. This study establishes a technically robust and economically viable pathway toward the low-cost production of cultivated seafood.

INSTRUMENT(S): Liquid Chromatography MS - negative - reverse-phase, Liquid Chromatography MS - positive - reverse-phase

PROVIDER: MTBLS14288 | MetaboLights | 2026-09-25

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights