GFI acquires SciFi Foods’ cultivated meat assets for public research use
The Good Food Institute and Tufts University plan to make bovine cell lines and serum-free media available to researchers worldwide.
USA – The Good Food Institute (GFI) has purchased a selection of cell lines and growth media that were developed by the now-defunct cultivated meat company SciFi Foods, which shut down in mid-2024.
GFI, a non-profit that promotes alternative protein development, confirmed that the assets include specific bovine cell lines and serum-free growth media that will be made available for scientific research.
The institute has partnered with the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA) to manage and distribute the materials to both academic and, eventually, commercial users.
Financial details of the acquisition have not been revealed, but GFI stated that the deal aims to reduce costs and speed up progress for researchers and start-ups working in the cultivated meat sector.
Making cultivated meat resources accessible
According to GFI, the open-access resources could save the industry millions of US dollars and significantly cut the time needed to develop new cell lines, which are essential for producing cultivated beef and related products.
The organisation said the move marks the first time suspension-adapted bovine cell lines will be made available for global use in cultivated meat research.
Initially, the cell lines will be shared with academic institutions, with commercial availability expected to follow after a pilot phase.
Dr. Amanda Hildebrand, GFI’s vice president of science and technology, said the initiative gives researchers a better starting point for developing new products and could accelerate the path to commercialisation.
She added that making such resources public could attract more participants to the cultivated protein space and give emerging companies an opportunity to compete on more even terms.
Industry context and background
SciFi Foods ended operations in June 2024 after struggling to scale its hybrid meat products, which combined cultivated beef cells with plant-based ingredients.
Following the company’s closure, GFI submitted a bid for the assets, which was accepted in August 2024.
Joshua March, co-founder and former CEO of SciFi Foods, said he hopes the transfer of assets will help future researchers and start-ups save both time and money as they develop new products.
The cultivated protein industry remains in its early stages, with only a few companies having received regulatory approval to sell their products, and most launches occurring on a small scale.
High production costs, particularly related to growth media, continue to limit progress and commercial viability for many developers.
Meanwhile, in Europe, French company Gourmey recently merged with VitalMeat to form a new entity called Parima, signalling ongoing consolidation in the cultivated meat sector.
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