**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ANIMAL PROTEINS PROVIDE ALL ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN HUMAN METABOLISM, IMMUNE SYSTEM, AND FUNCTIONAL PROTEINS SYNTHESIS. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO PRODUCE AFFORDABLE REGENERATIVE BEEF PROTEINS (RBPS) BY UTILIZING CATTLE BLOOD COMPONENTS FROM ABATTOIRS FOR HIGH-QUALITY DROP-IN INNOVATIVE FOOD PROTEINS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO 1) CONVERT CATTLE BLOOD INTO SELF-RENEWABLE STEM CELLS; 2) DEVELOP LOW-COST SCALABLE PLANT PROTEIN-BASED HYDROGEL FOR APPLICABLE THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3D) SCAFFOLDING FOR CELL EXPANSION AND MAINTENANCE; 3) OPTIMIZE 3D BIOREACTOR MANUFACTURING AND DEMONSTRATE RBP PRODUCTION FROM CATTLE SELF-RENEWABLE STEM CELLS BY PHYSICAL ENGINEERING APPROACHES AT KILO GRAM SCALE AND CONDUCT TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; AND 4) ASSESS NUTRITIONAL QUALITY AND PROTEIN EFFICIENCY AND PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY OF THE RBPS IN VITRO AND IN VIVO RAT MODEL. THIS RESEARCH WILL GENERATE NEW KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOP COST- EFFECTIVE 3D BIOMANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES FOR HIGH-EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF RBPS UTILIZING CATTLE BLOOD IN ABATTOIRS FOR HIGH-QUALITY DROP-IN INNOVATIVE FOOD PROTEINS. THE RBPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE HIGHLY DIGESTIVE AND AN ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID SOURCE FOR EVERYONE, AND PARTICULARLY, FOR THOSE WHO NEED ENERGY BOOST WITHIN A FEW MIN SUCH AS ATHLETES AND MILITARY SOLDIERS OR THOSE HAVING A SENSITIVE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. PRODUCING HIGH-QUALITY RBPS FROM CATTLE BLOOD WASTE WOULD INCREASE CATTLE LIFE CYCLE THAT BENEFITS THE CATTLE PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND BEEF INDUSTRIES, AS WELL AS SUPPORT FOOD SUSTAINABILITY.