PhD defence Richard Gerardus Johannes Dohmen

Keywords: Cellular agriculture, Cultured fat, Stem cells, Cell biology

"Fat from muscle: Fibro-adipogenic progenitors as a source for cultured fat production"

In the 20th century, meat consumption rose significantly and this trend is only projected to continue. Cultured meat offers a more sustainable and animal-friendly alternative to conventional livestock farming. Mimicry of taste and texture of meat, largely determined by fat tissue, is essential for the consumer acceptance of cultured meat. This thesis characterised and investigated fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells (FAPs), a cell type contributing to intramuscular fat tissue. FAPs divided efficiently in long-term cultures and differentiated into mature fat cells (adipocytes) in media free of animal-derived components. Although cellular ageing limits proliferation and differentiation, sufficient cell mass can still be generated for commercial applications. Additionally, a small molecule was identified that increased fat volume and partially restored adipogenic differentiation impaired by cellular ageing. This thesis concludes that bovine FAPs represent a promising cell type for the large-scale production of cultured fat.

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