Roslin Technologies Ltd
Creating Sustainable Protein through iPS Cell Platforms
Roslin Technologies is a Scottish biotech company working on the science of sustainable protein by pioneering the application of cutting-edge animal stem cell and genomic technologies. Food security is an increasing global concern; the increasing world population needs a greater choice of protein sources, as environmental impacts necessitate that we develop alternative methods to produce more sustainable protein.
Sustainable protein production affects both AgTech and FoodTech industries. The three pillars of our work address challenges in sustainable protein production:
- Stem cell technologies
- Genomic technologies
- Breeding programmes
Our scientific innovations improve both traditional and alternative protein production. They also promote food security by improving the health and biological efficiency of livestock.
One key focus of our current work is our induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell platform for use in the Cultivated Meat sector, offering a method to produce environmentally friendly ‘meat’ in a novel and sustainable way.
By focusing attention on sustainable protein production, we operate across many areas of AgTech and FoodTech. We work with traditional livestock and aquaculture end-users using our genomic technologies and breeding programme offerings. We work in the flourishing Alternative Protein sector offering proprietary induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines for creating cultivated meat products. These lines are created using novel methods which offer companies the ability to create meat products in a harm-free way. The cells can differentiate into key cell types (muscle and fat) for Cultivated Meat, enabling companies to develop products that mimic the texture of conventionally grown meat.
Secure and Reliable iPS Cell Lines for Product Development and Research
Our iPS cell lines address key market challenges in the production and scale-up of Cultivated Meat. We offer cell lines for use in product development and research – our porcine cell lines are currently in use with commercial clients, and bovine cell lines are in R&D prior to being offered commercially.
iPS cell lines are immortal, giving security and reliability to customers. Immortality ensures that repeated animal re-sampling is avoided and allows for production to be more easily scaled. Immortal cell lines avoid the issue of production runs failing due to cell death (“senescence”), a process that other types of cells used in cultivated meat production can undergo. We work closely with industry partners for ongoing line development, to ensure that we offer cell lines optimised for challenges including scale up and product development.
The Animal Health industry can use iPS cells as potential therapies to tackle a range of illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, or diabetes, as they have the ability to differentiate into any type of cell found in the body. Our iPS cell lines can also be used for genome editing, to address key challenges in the livestock production sector, for example to selectively edit for disease resistance.
A Novel Method of iPS Production
Our service of supplying cell lines to the Cultivated Meat and Animal Health sectors is based on a novel method of producing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines from livestock and companion animal species. We have filed for a patent on the basis of our technology. Producing iPS cell lines is not a new concept for research in humans, however the same technology has not been widely applied to domestic animal species. Our cell lines are species-specific (e.g. porcine, canine), and we have a number of cell lines under development.
Our breeding programmes are bespoke. They have been used to enhance production of insects as a protein source, which has commercial application in animal feed and complements our goals to enhance production of livestock and aquaculture. They have also been used by traditional livestock companies for pig breeding.
We work with a number of leading Cultivated Meat companies, who use our iPS cell lines in their work towards producing consumer cultivated meat products. We also work with Animal Health companies whose work aims to produce new therapies to tackle a range of illnesses for pets. Finally, through our breeding programmes, we work with both alternative protein producers and traditional livestock companies to enhance their brood stock.
Find out more at the Roslin Technologies Website