3D bioprinting of plant and animal cell-based hybrid food

Sushila Maharjan (), Camila Yamashita, Cheng Pau Lee, Alejandro Villalobos Zepeda, Ana Karen Michel Farias, Andrea Duarte Rivera, Francisco Javier Aguilar Rojas, David Sebastian Rendon Ruiz, Armando Martinez Hernandez, David Hyram Hernandez Medina, Carlos Ezio Garciamendez-Mijares, Julia Japo, Ludivina Bermea Jimenez, Sonia Golombek, Alessandro Bentivogli, Michinao Hashimoto and Yu Shrike Zhang ()
Additional contact information
Sushila Maharjan: Harvard Medical School
Camila Yamashita: Harvard Medical School
Cheng Pau Lee: Harvard Medical School
Alejandro Villalobos Zepeda: Harvard Medical School
Ana Karen Michel Farias: Harvard Medical School
Andrea Duarte Rivera: Harvard Medical School
Francisco Javier Aguilar Rojas: Harvard Medical School
David Sebastian Rendon Ruiz: Harvard Medical School
Armando Martinez Hernandez: Harvard Medical School
David Hyram Hernandez Medina: Harvard Medical School
Carlos Ezio Garciamendez-Mijares: Harvard Medical School
Julia Japo: Harvard Medical School
Ludivina Bermea Jimenez: Harvard Medical School
Sonia Golombek: Harvard Medical School
Alessandro Bentivogli: Harvard Medical School
Michinao Hashimoto: Singapore University of Technology and Design
Yu Shrike Zhang: Harvard Medical School

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract Cellular agriculture is an emerging field that leverages stem cell biology, biotechnology, and tissue engineering to produce meat and other agricultural products through cell culture techniques. One of the most promising methods within this domain is three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, which allows for precise layering of cells to form sophisticated structures. In this study, we introduce fully automated chaotic bioprinting with a custom-built extrusion setup taking advantage of an integrated Kenics static mixer printhead to create plant and animal cell-based hybrid noodles. These bioprinted hybrid noodles are made of approximately 30–40% unicellular plant cells (Chlamydomonas or Chlorella microalgae) and 60–70% muscle cells (C2C12 or chicken myoblasts). We further 3D-bioprinted aesthetically appealing hybrid food products of various shapes and sizes, where their textures, nutritional contents, and cooking behaviors are evaluated. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that 3D bioprinting can reliably produce a distinct category of plant- and animal cell-based hybrid foods and highlights opportunities to create complex culinary designs and explore diverse nutritional profiles with precision and efficiency.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61996-4

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