Algae unlocks a more ethical way to grow cells

Researchers at The University of Queensland (UQ) have developed a new cell cultivation technique that uses algae — and it’s said to be cheaper, greener and more ethical than current methods. Their work has been published in Biotechnology Journal.

Dr Melanie Oey and her team at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience combined a new type of Queensland algae, Chlorella sp. BDH-1, with mammalian cells to improve the process of growing tissue cells. Oey said the BDH-1 algae was chosen because it does not consume glucose and doesn’t compete with mammalian cells for food; indeed, it naturally creates a more supportive environment for muscle cells to thrive.

“In the human body blood delivers oxygen and removes waste, but in a lab setting you don’t have that system,” Oey said.

“By adding algae we’re essentially creating a mini-symbiosis or mutually beneficial interaction where the algae provide oxygen and take away waste, helping the cells grow better.”

The research could benefit tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, such as growing new skin for burns victims, with accelerated growth of 3D tissues and skin grafts. In cell cultures the researchers reported a more than 80% increase in cell growth, up to three times the number of usable cells, and cell cultures that remained viable for longer. There was also a 50% reduction in the need to use animal cells.

“The algae act like tiny life-support systems that can solve multiple problems at once,” Oey said.

“Our work shows muscle cells co-cultivated with the algae grow faster, live longer and require fewer expensive additives.”

The method also has the potential to benefit other applications, such as growing cultivated meat more affordably. Food Standards Australia New Zealand recently approved the sale of lab-grown or cell-cultured meat — created by growing or multiplying individual animal cells — but cost remains a barrier.

“Growing meat in the lab is expensive largely due to the nutrients and oxygen the cells need and the waste they produce,” Oey explained.

“Our research could make cultivated meat a sustainable, affordable, ethically acceptable alternative protein source.”

Other applications for the use of BDH-1 algae in cell culture include growing organoids to use in testing drugs, thus avoiding the need for animal testing; and growing and testing cells more efficiently as part of pharmaceutical manufacturing, with lower overheads and fewer inputs.

“By working with nature — using algae to improve the cellular environment — we’ve created a scalable way to support healthier, longer-lasting and more efficient cell cultures,” Oey concluded.

Image credit: The University of Queensland.