BioBetter opens molecular farming plant using tobacco to help grow cultivated meat

Dive Brief:

• Foodtech startup BioBetter opened its first food-grade pilot facility which will be home to the company’s unique molecular farming technology using the tobacco plant. BioBetter discovered a new purpose for tobacco plants, transforming them into bioreactors for the production of growth factors used in cultivated meat.
• The Israeli startup created the genetically modified plant as self-sustained, animal-free bioreactors producing “authentic and well structured” muscle tissue as a result, a statement announcing the plant explained.
• Carefully engineered to prevent the escape of any transgenic or carcinogenic material, the bioreactors will be grown in a large-scale, net house cultivation system and is meant to solve one of the many hurdles facing the industry: price parity.

Dive Insight:

The newly opened plant has the capacity to process around 200 pounds of tobacco plant-derived growth factors on a daily basis. The site is currently in the process of securing the essential stages of approval from the Ministry of Health for food manufacturing licensing, the company said. 

“Our holistic approach not only underscores our commitment to safety and environmental responsibility but also streamlines regulatory processes,” reveals Dana Yarden, M.D., co-founder of BioBetter. “We plan to use recycled and low-quality water for irrigation, minimize nitrogen fertilizer use, and reduce emissions and environmental impact.

The molecular farming innovation from BioBetter is looking to significantly reduce the costs of cultivated meat production overall. Achieving this, however, hinges on the ability to mass produce growth factors, which is something BioBetter says they have found a solution to with the speedy growth and prolific protein production of its modified tobacco plant.

“The most significant challenge of the cultivated meat industry is to produce and scale up at the right cost,” said Aviv Oren, director of business engagement and innovation from the Good Food Institute in a statement. “Biobetter’s technology is a pivotal addition that has the potential to accelerate this industry.”

What sets BioBetter’s technology apart, is that it requires no custom or pharma-based equipment, which is often expensive, according to CEO Amit Yaari. Additionally, the production will also require no additional capital expenditure investments, according to a report from Food Ingredients First. The company will be partnering with agriculture manufacturers who already have a suitable manufacturing facility, equipment, and production expertise to expedite the company’s entry to market, the company said.

“Over the past year, our outreach and collaborations expanded considerably,” added Yarden in the statement. “We’ve shared [growth factor] samples with numerous cultivated meat companies and cell media producers worldwide and received promising proof-of-concept results.”