Current commercial applications of mammalian cell culture are centered in the biomedical industry and are mainly focused on the production of biologics and immunotherapies. MegaBio is part of a growing community of companies and researchers who are adapting mammalian cell culture technologies for the production of food. However, the use of cell culture for food production presents several unique technical challenges. Namely, food products do not command the high market prices that drugs do, and they are consumed in much larger quantities. Therefore, compared with therapeutic products, food products must be produced at a much larger scale and at a much lower cost. One of the most significant drivers of the cost of the production of breastmilk is cell culture media. To achieve a viable business model, MegaBio needs to reduce the cost of its cell culture media for mammary epithelial cells by an order of magnitude before their next fundraise. One way that this reduction could be achieved is by formulating a custom cell culture media from inexpensively produced or sourced components. In addition to a carbon source, other essential nutrients, and a buffering system, a media formulation for MegaBIO must also include the hormones prolactin, insulin, and hydrocortisone, and the growth factor, EGF. To complete this challenge, please develop a strategy for reducing the cost of cell culture media compared with the reference media below in the next year. Reference media: DMEM/F12 supplemented with prolactin [200 ng/mL], insulin [600 ng/mL], hydrocortisone [100 ng/mL], and EGF [20 ng/mL] Your strategy can be prepared as a document, slide deck, or alternative deliverable form that communicates the following: ● Summary of your approach, including identification of which component(s) represent the greatest opportunity to reduce the cost of cell culture media ● Any assumptions you found that you needed to make to complete this exercise and how you justify them ● Calculation of the cost of the reference media ($/L) based on commercially sourced materials ● Estimation of the cost of media ($/L) if your solution were to be implemented ● An experimental plan to validate the approach, including hypotheses to be tested and the assays and endpoints to be evaluated ● Alternative suggestions for solution pathways or experimental design pivots if further reductions in cost are needed ● A list of the references and source materials used in the development of your solution
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