Milk from dairy cows provides essential nutrients as part of the diet, and people have a central need for this food. However, dairy cows account for approximately 75% of Danish agricultures emission of the greenhouse gas, methane. One biological approach for reducing greenhouse gas emission is to produce milk in a sustainable way – by in vitro biotechnology instead of dairy cows.
The aim of the master project is to establish animal cell models for in vitro milk production. Mammary epithelial cells are isolated from either the udder of a slaughtered cow or non-invasive from cows milk. Cells are grown in culture medium, differentiated into mammary secreting cells that produce a milk secretome similar to milk from cells in the mammary gland in vivo. We have obtained mammary cells from eight cows and these cells can be growth in cultures. The master project can be focused on different aspects of the cellular milk production, such as cell viability, growth and differentiation factors, or sustainable plant-based culture medium.
To be decided in agreement with the supervisor.
The practical work will take place at Department of Animal- and Veterinary Sciences, AU Viborg - Forskningscenter Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele.
45 or 60 ECTS projects are possible, but 60 ECTS is preferred. This project will be designed and planned in collaboration with the master student, and the student will analyse his/her own data. The MSc student is invited as a co-author if results are being published. No experience with cell-based assays is required.
The master project will be connected to our ongoing research project: “What do we drink in 2030? In vitro milk based on cultured cells.” A number of people is driving from Aarhus to Research Centre Foulum every day, so transport should be possible without having a car.
