FATSCAN - Fluorescence-based Adipo Tracking Screening for Cell Nutrition

Multus Biotechnology and the Roslin Institute are engineering the liquid food that lab-grown cells need to thrive, without using any animal products or genetic modification. The problem is straightforward: growing cells at scale for food, medicine, or materials currently relies on expensive, animal-derived ingredients or genetically modified cells. Both options limit what can be produced sustainably and cost-effectively. This project combines Roslin’s stem cell analysis techniques with Multus’s machine-learning platform to rapidly test and optimise thousands of growth medium recipes. The goal is a first-of-its-kind, animal-component-free formula that supports high-yield, functional cell manufacture. If successful, the impact cuts across industries. Cultured meat could become cheaper and more reliable, reducing pressure on livestock farming. But the same platform could also produce cells for regenerative medicine, bio-based materials, or even energy—replacing petrochemical feedstocks with biological manufacturing. The work is applied, not fundamental science: it directly targets a bottleneck in commercial biomanufacturing, aiming to make cell-based production a practical, scalable alternative for multiple sectors.