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Figure: High-density muscle cell growth on CytoNest’s edible 3D fiber scaffold

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CytoNest, Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in edible scaffolding for meat and seafood cell-based cultures, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop nanofiber-based edible 3D scaffold platform technology for the scalable production of cell-cultured meat products.

The grant will support CytoNest's development of single-filament polymeric nanofibers with precise alignment and built-in vasculature in 3D scaffolds to provide an optimal environment for cellular and tissue growth. This innovative approach will allow the company to offer a platform technology for the production of meat-specific (e.g., salmon, shrimp, crab, scallops, beef, pork) product lines that mimic the tissue structure and texture of the represented meat product, including muscle and fat cell growth together.

In recent years, intense research and investment have been made in the development of cultured meat and seafood products. However, the challenges of developing biomimetic cell-cultured meat and seafood at scale have stunted their commercial viability and delayed market entry. CytoNest's platform technology aims to address this challenge by providing tunable, non-homogenous delivery of nutrients and controllable tissue orientation for optimal cell growth and tissue formation.

"We are thrilled to receive this grant from the USDA to support our efforts in developing nanofiber-based edible 3D scaffolds for cell-cultured meat production," said Nataraja Yadavalli, CEO of CytoNest, Inc. "Our platform technology has the potential to revolutionize the way cell-cultured meat and seafood products are produced and pave the way for a more sustainable and ethical food system."

CytoNest's proprietary fiber drawing technology allows for the fabrication of true 3D structures and can currently produce up to 300 cm^3 volume per scaffold. The company plans to scale up its production capacity to fabricate large 3D scaffolds up to 3000 cm^3 in volume per scaffold. “One of the most exciting aspects of CytoNest is that it can overcome the problems of common electrospun fibers in the market today,” said Dr Blake Hawley, Board Chair, meaning they would conquer the challenges of poor cell diffusion, scaffold collapse, and poor vasculature with rapid cell necrosis.”

Dr. Lee Herron, Senior Vice President of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) and one of CytoNest’s advisors added, “GRA works with faculty to launch and grow companies out of Georgia’s universities. Mr. Yadavalli and CytoNest are delivering on this promise, and the USDA grant is another step in this company’s growth trajectory. We look forward to seeing continued progress.”

For more information about CytoNest, Inc and their scaffold customization services, please contact Nataraja Yadavalli at natarajasy@cytonest.com or (706) 247-2739.