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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Valorizing watermelon rind waste into Plant-Based scaffolds for Proof-of-Concept cultivated meat production in a dynamic Fixed-Bed bioreactor.

Bioresource technology · 7 November 2026 · DOI 10.1016/j.biortech.2026.136135

Researchers tested decellularised watermelon rind as a cultivated meat scaffold in a controlled fixed-bed bioreactor. They used 10% Tween-20 instead of Triton X-100, coated the material with Synthemax II and grew mouse C2C12 muscle cells for seven days. Residual DNA fell below 25 ng/mg, while porosity reached 85.6% and stiffness measured 36.8 ± 5.9 kPa. Dynamic culture produced greater metabolic activity and cell coverage than static culture. Cells differentiated and entered the scaffold. The constructs stayed intact after cooking.

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