Germany-based food and pharmaceutical supply firm GEA opened its New Food Application and Technology Center (ATC) in the United States on July 17, 2025. The $20-million infrastructure serves as a site for innovation in alternative protein production, particularly meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs.
The 13,000 square foot facility includes an in-house laboratory equipped with apparatus for microbial and cell culture propagation. It also has pilot-scale equipment, including bioreactors and fermenters, to test the potential of new food processes in larger production. These operations are part of the growing industry of cellular agriculture.
Growth of cellular agriculture
Cellular agriculture involves producing meat and other agricultural products by cultivating cells and microorganisms rather than raising and harvesting livestock. There are two primary methods. The first, cell culture-based production, collects stem cells from a live animal and grows them in nutrient-rich media to form muscle tissue, enabling the production of chicken, pork, beef, and fish. The second, precision fermentation, uses genetically modified microorganisms to produce specific proteins, which are processed into products such as milk, cheese, gelatin, and egg whites.
The sector offers significant benefits for animal welfare, public health, and the environment. It eliminates the need for industrial farming by relying on small cell biopsies, reduces the risk of zoonotic diseases, and has the potential to lower annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52%. Technological advances in genetic engineering are further enhancing production efficiency and scalability, contributing to increased commercial viability.
Market data reflects this growth potential. The global cellular agriculture market is projected to increase from USD 226.23 million in 2024 to USD 545.36 million by 2030. Data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service also indicates a decade-long rise in the number of new firms and annual investments in the field.
Cellular Agriculture: Patenting Activity
Patent filings in cellular agriculture have risen steadily since 2016, driven in part by sharp cost reductions in cultured meat production. In 2013, a lab-grown burger patty cost as much as $325,000, but by 2015, the price had dropped to about $11. New Harvest also organized the first cellular agriculture conference in 2016, bringing together researchers and investors for panel discussions on academic, manufacturing, and environmental concerns in the field.
In 2020, Upside Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) secured the industry’s largest funding round to date, raising $161 million in its Series B. Notably, the company is known for developing a cost-efficient process for producing cell-based meats without the use of fetal bovine serum (FBS). The investment would be allocated to building a pilot production facility and expanding into Asian markets.
Patent activity also peaked in 2021, coinciding with the launch of the National Institute for Cellular Agriculture at Tufts University. Funded by a $10 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture, the institute focuses on developing sustainable, cost-effective methods for cultured meat production, while enhancing the nutritional value, quality, and safety of the food products.
Cellular Agriculture: Top Jurisdictions
Korea leads in patent filings related to cellular agriculture, driven by strong government support. In 2023, 28 city governments, research institutions, and private companies signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the sector nationwide. This agreement led to the launch of the North Gyeongsang Cellular Agriculture Industry Support Center. A regulation-free zone was also designated in the same province to accelerate cultured meat development and commercialization.
The United States follows closely behind. A 2024 report from the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service noted that the U.S. accounted for 56% of global investments in cultured meat between 2014 and 2023. The country is also home to the largest number of cellular agriculture companies and startups.
China also shows strong engagement, with over a hundred patent filings in the field. Similar to Korea and the United States, the Chinese government supports cellular agriculture, particularly through initiatives such as the Green Biological Manufacturing program launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2020. Multiple research studies on cultivated meat have also received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Significant patent activity is also observed in Japan, Israel, India, Australia, and Canada, as well as through international bodies like the World Intellectual Property Organization and the European Patent Office.
Cellular Agriculture: Top Assignees
Among the patent assignees, Aleph Farms takes the lead with 44 patent filings. The company is known for its Aleph Cuts, which are cultivated steaks grown from the cells of a premium Black Angus cow. Other key players include Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and SuperMeat, a startup specializing in cultured chicken meat.
Patent filings in cellular agriculture are geographically diverse, with companies around the world developing a variety of protein products. Avant Meats in Hong Kong and Singapore is known for cultured fish, Mosa Meat in the Netherlands focuses on cultured beef, while Supreme (now Gourmey) in France produces foie gras from duck stem cells.
Switzerland’s Bühler provides a wide range of protein substitutes, including plant- and cell-based alternatives. In the US, Upside Foods is advancing methods to optimize cell growth conditions for cultured meat. Notably, China Meat Research Center, a government-supported institution, is also among the top assignees in this field.
Cellular Agriculture: Top Law Firms
In line with Korea’s position as a top jurisdiction for cellular agriculture patent filings, several South Korea-based law firms represented multiple patent filings. These include Chung Hyun Patent & Law Firm, THEWAVE IP Law Firm, PLUS International IP Law Firm, and Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners.
Similarly, reflecting the high number of patents assigned to Israel-based companies, law firms such as Webb & Co., Ehrlich Group, and Reinhold Cohn & Partners handled a substantial share of filings.
Cellular Agriculture: Top Technology Areas
A large majority of cellular agriculture patent filings are under the C12N and A23L classifications. C12N covers microorganisms or enzymes, their compositions, and processes for their propagation, maintenance, and genetic engineering. On the other hand, A23L encompasses foods, foodstuffs, or non-alcoholic beverages, along with their preparation. Together, these technologies form the core of cellular agriculture.
Other notable technology areas are A23J for the protein composition of foodstuffs, C12M for the apparatus for enzymology or microbiology, and A23V for the use of lactic or propionic acid bacteria in fermenting foodstuffs.
Patents behind cellular agriculture processes and products
Patents in cellular agriculture cover a broad range of innovations, including methods for producing various food products, as well as the specialized equipment and systems required for these processes.
Cultured meat from cell cultivation methods
More than 70% of cellular agriculture companies that use cell cultivation techniques focus primarily on meat production. Traditional livestock farming requires large amounts of land, water, and feed, and comes with significant environmental and animal welfare concerns. Cultured meat aims to address these issues by growing animal tissue directly from cells, thus eliminating the need to raise and slaughter animals.
U.S. Pat. App. No. 2020/0140821 introduces a method for producing cultured food products by extracting self-renewing stem cells from animal sources. These cells form muscle and fat tissue, which are then seeded onto micro-scaffolds to create the desired meat texture and structure for human consumption. The patent also covers variations in scaffold materials, genetic modifications to enhance growth and differentiation, and the production of a wide range of cultured meats, from poultry to seafood and even cephalopod muscle.
The patent application, titled “Ex vivo meat production,” was filed on June 7, 2018 and was published on May 7, 2020. It was invented by Wildtype co-founders Arye Elfenbein and Justin Lee Kolbeck. It was represented by Greg Sueoka, Reena Kuyper, Franklin Han, et al from Patent Law Works LLP.
Cultured milk from precision fermentation methods
As of 2024, most precision fermentation companies focus on dairy products, including milk. Plant-based milk substitutes have grown in popularity due to their antioxidant content and lactose-free nature. However, since these substitutes lack the protein qualities of bovine milk, precision fermentation may be a more suitable alternative.
U.S. Pat. App. No. 2024/0034760 discloses methods for producing milk proteins using genetically modified host cells derived from bacteria, fungi, or plants. These engineered cells express key proteins in bovine milk, particularly β-lactoglobulin and casein, which can be processed into a range of dairy alternatives.
The patent application, titled “Fusion proteins comprising milk proteins and compositions thereof”, was filed on August 5, 2021, and was published on February 1, 2024. It was invented by Timothy Scott Johnson, Timothy Geistlinger, Ty B. Wagoner, and Janine Tsan-Huei Lin, and is currently assigned to Perfect Day. It was represented by Craig Metcalf, David Conklin, and Whitney Blair from Kirton McConkie.
Large-scale production of cultured food
Cultured food products first demonstrated in laboratory-scale culture are eventually expanded into commercial volumes. Large-scale production may be challenging, particularly in maintaining the viability and adherence of cells, the appropriate condition of cell growth media, and the sterility of the final product.
U.S. Pat. App. No. 2022/0195359 describes methods for such large-scale processes. The patent covers a cell culture bioreactor system in which cells are seeded onto a three-dimensional scaffold and grown until the desired tissue volume is achieved. The apparatus features inlet and outlet ports for the controlled delivery of growth medium without disturbing cell adherence, along with sensors to monitor its amount, temperature, pH, among other conditions. The patent also claims sterile, food-safe packaging methods for the resulting food product.
The patent application, titled “Cultivation systems and methods for large-scale production of cultured food”, was filed on April 30, 2020, and was published on June 23, 2022. It was invented by Neta Lavon, Moshe Aviv, Yoav Roth, and Didier Toubia, and is currently assigned to Aleph Farms. It was represented by Scott Blackman, Rodney Fuller, Bryce Burnham, et al from Fuller IP Law.
