Led by Professor Buganim, a globally renowned scientist in stem cell research, MarineXcell uses stem cells to cultivate shrimp, lobster, and crab meat. MarineXcell’s unique technology “addresses a significant bottleneck in the cultured seafood industry”, says the Israeli company: our methodology not only facilitates the creation of these cells but also ensures the sustained propagation and growth of iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells), even in sub-optimal conditions.
MarineXcell is an innovative company supported by Yissum, the Tech Transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, that aims to revolutionize the seafood industry by developing a proprietary process for the mass production of genuine shrimp, lobster, and crab meat based on stem cells. Our vision is to create a sustainable and reliable source of these seafood products that can replenish natural populations, minimize ecological disruptions from fishing, restore local communities’ seafood access, and meet the increasing global demand.
We utilize stem cell technology to produce shellfish meat free of contaminants, antibiotics, and diseases, promoting sustainability, nutrition, and affordability. MarineXcell’s approach is not only groundbreaking for the seafood industry but also environmentally responsible, aiming to preserve our planet’s fragile ecosystems.
Who founded the company, and when?
Marinexcell was founded in 2023 by:
Dr. Gadi Lipiner, CEO, PhD, MBA, co-founder: Over 30 years of experience as a corporate executive, scientific researcher, university lecturer, and international consultant.
Prof. Yosef Buganim, CSO. PhD, co-founder: HHMI international scholar and worldwide stem cell renowned scientist. Prof. Buganim won many prestigious awards for his pioneering work on nuclear reprogramming.
Leonardo Berezowsky, CFO MA. co-founder: Over 30 years of professional experience as CFO, COO, and Director in start-ups and public companies.
Why choose cultivated shrimp instead of aquaculture?
90% of the world’s shellfish stocks are already overexploited. This unsustainable fishing has sharply declined wild shrimp, lobster, and crab populations, affecting marine ecosystems.
Global demand for shellfish is skyrocketing. The FAO estimates that by 2030, global shellfish demand will reach levels that pose a significant challenge to traditional production methods (fishing and aquafarming. Cultured shellfish meat emerges as a strategic response to these challenges.
CEO Gabi Lipiner also noted, “By leveraging technological advancements, Marinexcell aims to address the increasing demand for shrimp, lobster, and crab, minimizing the environmental impact, preserving marine ecosystems, and bringing to the world a new sustainable source.”
Innovation in Marinexcell’s technology based on nuclear reprogramming addresses the existing challenges like technology complexity, cost of production, and scale-up issues. Marinexcell’s know-how streamlines the production of muscle cells and enables in-house production of growth factors. These facts make Marinexcell very unique within the shellfish meat production arena!
Marinexcell’s innovative technology is based on nuclear reprogramming, which converts adult cells into embryonic stem-like cells, also known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This approach is more versatile, efficient, and rapid compared to traditional methods. Professor Buganim’s lab is among the few worldwide that have mastered this technique.
Given the evolutionary distance between crustaceans and mammals, the conventional Yamanaka factors are ineffective in reprogramming crustacean cells into embryonic stem-like cells. Over the past decade, Professor Buganim’s lab has developed and patented groundbreaking technologies to address challenges like these. Recently, the lab achieved a significant breakthrough in reprogramming bovine cells, a key advancement for cultured meat production that was previously unavailable. This success highlights the uniqueness and feasibility of Buganim’s approach in generating iPSCs from crustacean cells.
Marinexcell technology advantages include:
- Infinite growth, leading to a continuous and efficient cell Proliferation process.
- Maintain cell differentiation over time – ensuring authenticity
- Accelerated cell division, resulting in mass production efficiency
- Cells can be maintained in suboptimal conditions, leading to better adaptability and cell resilience
- Scalability
Have you established cell lines? If so, from which of your target species? How about growth media and cell feed?
We initiated the establishment of shrimp and lobster cells with the investment we received from Big Idea Ventures. Unfortunately, the recess of investments that affected all the cultured meat market during the last year required to reorganize and slow down the R&D.
What are the challenges of growing cells from crustaceans?
Since crustaceans are evolutionarily distant from mammalian cells, the current culture conditions for mammalian cells are not suitable for crustaceans. We are optimizing temperature, mineral composition, osmolarity, plating surface, and other factors to create ideal culture conditions for crustacean cells.
Are you operating at a pilot-scale level? Any proof of concept?
Not yet. We are currently in the fundraising phase to continue our work.
Fundraising is one of the biggest challenges the alternative protein industry is currently facing. Amid high global interest rates and market uncertainty, many investors scaled back in 2023, including in the alternative protein space. This reality makes it all the more critical that startups exercise strong control over their burn rate. Additionally, the high prices of alternative meat products—which currently come with a 35 percent premium in Southeast Asia—are keeping mainstream consumers away, further exacerbating fundraising challenges.
In other words, there’s still plenty of money out there, but companies will need to prove their viability more concretely than they used to before investors are willing to take the risk. We are in the process of raising money amid the challenges this area is facing.
What are your plans for 2025?
To raise funds for the company to initiate the Marinexcell process development and expedite the demonstration of proof of concept.
Regarding animal welfare, what is your message about crustacean sentience? Would you like to share a thought for our vegan readers?
- Boiled alive while they’re fully conscious.
- Live animals are sold pre-packed in clingfilm, slowly suffocating whilst completely immobilized.
- Sent in the post to consumers for home slaughter.
- Limbs pulled off whilst they’re fully conscious.
- Home slaughter by inexperienced consumers – they can store and kill them however they wish.
The Marinexcell process for the production of crab, shrimp, and lobster meat based on stem cells is a real solution to those creatures’ welfare.
