SAN DIEGO, CA | September 9, 2026
Defined Bioscience, Inc., a developer of defined, animal-free cell culture media and reagents, has been awarded a $1.24 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance a scalable, plant-derived alternative to recombinant albumin for cell culture.
Albumin is widely used in cell culture media but can be one of its most expensive protein components, creating a significant cost barrier as cell-based manufacturing moves to larger scales. Building on Defined Bioscience’s NSF Phase I work, the new Phase II program will develop and validate a plant-derived protein ingredient designed to provide key functions of recombinant albumin while enabling substantially more scalable and cost-effective production.
“Cell culture media cost remains one of the major barriers to making cell-based technologies truly scalable, and recombinant proteins such as albumin can represent a disproportionate part of that cost,” said Steven Rees, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO of Defined Bioscience and Principal Investigator on the award. “Our Phase I work established a path toward replacing a high-cost recombinant ingredient with a scalable plant-derived alternative. With NSF Phase II support, we can now take the critical next steps toward manufacturing at meaningful scale, demonstrating lot-to-lot consistency, and validating performance in demanding cell culture applications.”
The two-year Phase II project will focus on three major areas, including advancing the extraction and purification process from laboratory scale toward pilot-scale manufacturing; characterizing protein composition, solubility, storage stability and lot-to-lot reproducibility; and testing the resulting material in cell-based assays, including muscle and fat cell growth and differentiation, against media containing recombinant albumin.
The initial commercial opportunity includes cell culture for cultivated meat and other emerging biomanufacturing applications where media cost and ingredient scalability remain significant constraints. More broadly, the project could establish a new source of functional, animal-free protein ingredients for cell culture while creating higher-value uses for plant-derived materials and strengthening domestic biomanufacturing supply chains.
The project reflects Defined Bioscience’s broader approach to cell culture, identifying expensive, variable or difficult-to-scale components and developing defined alternatives that improve reproducibility, accessibility and manufacturing scalability.
The award, NSF Award No. 2604951, “SBIR Phase II: Protein isolate serum replacement solutions,” began September 1, 2026 and is expected to continue through August 31, 2028.
About Defined Bioscience
Defined Bioscience is a San Diego-based life science tools company developing high-performance, animal-free media, supplements and reagents for cell culture. The company focuses on improving the reproducibility, cost and scalability of cell culture systems used in stem cell research, organoid development, regenerative medicine, biomanufacturing and cellular agriculture. Defined Bioscience develops products and technologies by rethinking fundamental components of cell culture, including growth factors, proteins, supplements, and basal media, to provide researchers and manufacturers with more controlled and scalable alternatives.
For more information, visit www.definedbioscience.com.
About America’s Seed Fund Powered by NSF
America’s Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation provides non-dilutive funding to startups and small businesses developing innovative technologies based on science and engineering. Companies receiving Phase I funding may compete for Phase II awards of up to $1.25 million over 24 months to continue research and development toward commercialization. NSF SBIR/STTR proposals undergo a rigorous merit-based review process evaluating their technical innovation, broader impact and commercial potential.
For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.
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