What if the secret to making lab-grown meat more delicious was hiding in your skincare routine? Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that Aloe vera—best known for soothing sunburns—could also help create juicier, more realistic cultured meat.

 

In addition to its medicinal and nutritional benefits, Aloe vera is now showing promise as a natural, sustainable scaffold (a supportive structure) for growing cultured meat. Combined with a single-use bioreactor, this repurposing of the common plant offers a scalable, cost-effective solution for cultured meat production.

 

Improving Cultured Meat

Cultured meat is produced by growing animal cells in a lab, but it faces challenges in scalability and cost efficiency, as well as creating a realistic texture and structure. Traditional methods often rely on synthetic or animal-based materials to provide this structure.

 

In a new study published in npj Science of Food, researchers Dr. Sharon Schlesinger and Prof. Oded Shoseyov from the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveal that Aloe vera offers a biodegradable, cost-effective, and highly absorbent alternative.

 

About the Research

The team repurposed aloe vera as a scaffold, a natural structure that helps cells stick together, grow, and form the supportive material around them. They then successfully grew fat-like tissue, or “lipid chunks,” that could enhance the taste and mouthfeel of alternative proteins. To further improve the process, they incorporated oleic acid, a compound that naturally promotes fat formation in cells.

 

The study also highlights a new bioprocessing approach, integrating the Aloe vera scaffolds into a macrofluidic single-use bioreactor (MSUB). Developed at Reichman University, the MSUB technology streamlines production, making cultured meat more commercially viable while reducing reliance on animal-based or synthetic materials.

 

The team explains that Aloe vera is a more efficient scaffold than the synthetic or polymer-based options because its natural structure can absorb a high amount of liquid, creating an optimal environment for cell growth without requiring additional reinforcement.

 

A Scalable Solution

This discovery is particularly exciting because Aloe vera is an accessible ingredient for producing cultured meat at the industrial scale. The plant is widely available and already approved by the FDA for use as a food additive. With global Aloe vera production reaching up to 500,000 metric tons annually, its use as a renewable, edible scaffold provides an eco-friendly and scalable solution for the alternative protein industry.

 

By repurposing Aloe vera into a biocompatible scaffold for cultured meat production “we are taking a significant step toward scalable, cost-effective cultured meat production that could help address global food security and environmental challenges,” says Dr. Sharon Schlesinger.

 

“We are taking a significant step toward scalable, cost-effective cultured meat production that could help address global food security and environmental challenges” - Dr. Sharon Schlesinger of the Department of Animal Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

 

This study not only enhances the feasibility of producing environmentally responsible cultured meat at the industrial scale, but it also paves the way for new advancements in food technology, tissue engineering, and alternative proteins—bringing us one step closer to a future where lab-grown meat is both accessible and sustainable.

 

The research paper, “Cultivation of bovine lipid chunks on Aloe vera scaffolds”, is now available in npj Science of Food. Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00391-1.

 

Researchers

• Prof. Oded Shoseyov, Gilad Gome, Department of Plan Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
• Dr. Sharon Schlesinger, Benyamin Chak, Shadi Tawil, Itai Rotem, Ivana Ribarski-Chorev, Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
• Dr. Jonathan Giron, Sammy Ofer School of Communication, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel

 

For a century, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been a beacon for visionary minds who challenge norms and shape the future. Founded by luminaries like Albert Einstein, who entrusted his intellectual legacy to the University, it is dedicated to advancing knowledge, fostering leadership, and promoting diversity. Home to over 23,000 students from 90 countries, the Hebrew University drives much of Israel’s civilian scientific research, with over 11,000 patents and groundbreaking contributions recognized by nine Nobel Prizes, two Turing Awards, and a Fields Medal. Ranked 81st globally by the Shanghai Ranking (2024), it celebrates a century of excellence in research, education, and innovation. To learn more about the University’s academic programs, research, and achievements, visit the official website at http://new.huji.ac.il/en.