Technology Licensing

FaTTy

A foundational cell line for cellular agriculture

QUOTE No: TEC1104562

FaTTy

TEC4562_NCD_FaTTy_Web_Header.jpg

FaTTy is an immortalized, non-genetically engineered, cell line from pig with sustained ability to generate mature fat cells (adipocytes) with very high efficiency in culture.

At a glance

Application

  • Large-scale fat production for cellular agriculture
  • Biomedical research model

Development status

  • Partially characterised in terms of stability and ability for xenofree growth
  • Scale-up potential not fully determined

IP Status

No filings

Commercial offering

Cell Lines are available for licensing or co-development

Opportunity

FaTTy is an immortalised, non-genetically engineered cell line from pig that is able to consistently differentiate into fat cells with extremely high efficiency, and maintains such ability over long-term in vitro culture. Its properties make FaTTy unique among existing livestock cell lines, and make it ideally suited for scaling up fat production for food manufacturing purposes. Importantly, it being non-genetically edited (i.e. non GMO) provides a significant added advantage for industry regulatory purposes – namely EU [EU GMO regulation in food and feed (regulation No.1829/2003)].

Technology Overview

The cell line was obtained from passaging of mesenchymal stem cell cultures (obtained from pig fat), which spontaneously overcame senescence in vitro.

Several sister lines with characteristics akin to FaTTy have also been generated in our laboratory. FaTTy consistently produces fat in vitro with much higher efficiency (80-95%) and for longer than ever recorded from any pig cells in culture. FaTTy can differentiate in serum-free conditions, and can produce adipocytes efficiently both using 2D and 3D systems, with mature (unilocular) adipocytes resulting after long-term (40-day) differentiation of FaTTy.

Benefits

As a non-GMO livestock cell line with exceedingly high capacity for fat production in culture, using relatively short and serum-free protocols, FaTTy holds enormous potential for the cultured meat industry.

Publications

Thrower, T., Riley, S.E., Lee, S. et al. A unique spontaneously immortalised cell line from pig with enhanced adipogenic capacity.
npj Sci Food 9, 52 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00413-y


 

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Paul Clarke

Senior Technology Transfer Manager