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Bio-inspired design, manufacturing, and mechanics of polymer scaffolds for cultured meat

thesis
posted on 2024-09-09, 19:49 authored by Kossi Loic Mawunyegan AvegnonKossi Loic Mawunyegan Avegnon

The goal of this work is to enhance acceptance of cultured meat by replicating traditional meat behavior. This research focuses on the design, manufacture, and mechanics of scaffolds, which provide essential structural support for cell alignment and tissue formation in cultured meat. The integration of biopolymer scaffolds in the final product necessitates a thorough understanding of the thermo-mechanical behavior of scaffolding materials during critical stages like culturing and cooking. Two primary studies were conducted using additive manufacturing processes: (1) vat polymerization and (2) fused filament fabrication. A novel sustainable photocurable soy-based resin was evaluated for high-temperature degradation. The key challenge was ensuring printability and understanding the curing kinetics of the soy resin. For fused filament fabrication, the approach employed an innovative manufacturing-for-design paradigm aimed at mimicking the contraction properties of meat during cooking. The geometry, material properties, and printing process gave rise to a class of novel metamaterials with tunable negative thermal expansions. The key results showed that the thermo-mechanical behavior of soy-based scaffolds could be assessed without the need for costly and time-consuming culturing, as heat did not compromise structural integrity. Furthermore, cooking semi-crystalline biopolymers in an aqueous environment led to material crystallization, which altered the expected deformation mechanisms in the scaffolds. This unexpected behavior was captured in an analytical model accounting for non-linear material properties and print process parameters. By understanding the impact of manufacturing techniques on scaffold behavior, this work established a critical process-property-performance relationship for cultured meat production.

Funding

USDA-NIFA Grant 2021–38424–33464

Erasmus+/ICM program between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (USA) and the University of Rouen Normandy (France)

Graduate School for Materials & Energy Sciences (GS-MES)

French Agence Nationale de la Recherche LabEx EMC3 through the Projects HAMMO and HAMMO-2 (Grant No. 10-LABX-0009)

Good Food Institute Discovery Grant Program under the project titled “Exploring Combinatorial Bio-manufacturing Processes for an Alternative Protein Food-by-design System,”

Purdue University’s Colleges of Agriculture & Engineering Collaborative Projects Competition

History

Degree Type

  • Doctor of Philosophy

Department

  • Mechanical Engineering

Campus location

  • West Lafayette

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Dr. Michael P. Sealy

Additional Committee Member 2

Dr. Ajay P. Malshe

Additional Committee Member 3

Dr. Arezoo M. Ardekani

Additional Committee Member 4

Dr. Haley F. Oliver

Additional Committee Member 5

Dr. Laurent Delbreilh

Additional Committee Member 6

Dr. Benoit Vieille