Deco Labs launches plant-based albumin alternative cAlbumin for cell culture applications 

Deco Labs has launched cAlbumin, a plant-derived protein formulation designed to replace one of the costly components in animal cell culture media, targeting a key barrier to scale in biomanufacturing and cell-cultivated meat production. This product marked the company’s first commercial launch and reflects a broader focus on developing plant-origin inputs for animal cell culture systems. 

Co-founder & CEO of Deco Labs, Natalie Rubio, stated that we are focused on solving albumin because it was the leading cost driver in our own animal cell cultivation processes. 

According to Towards Healthcare, the NEAA cell culture supplements market is projected to experience significant growth, with estimates suggesting the market size will increase from USD 1.36 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 2.93 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9% from 2026 to 2035. Growth is driven by the increasing adoption of biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals, advancements in cell culture technology, and the rising demand for high-quality biologics. These factors are contributing to the market's growth and expansion. 

Albumin plays a central role in supporting cell viability, stability, and proliferation, and is widely used across biopharmaceutical production, cell therapy, and cell-cultivated meat. It is sourced from animals or produced through recombinant processes; it remains a complex and expensive ingredient in media formulations. 

Rubio stated that across cell types, cAlbumin consistently matches or exceeds the performance of rAlbumin/BSA, as quantified by growth rate over multiple passages. 

About cAlbumin 

It is produced from Brassica napus, commonly known as rapeseed, and has been developed as a functional replacement for albumin. The company reported that the ingredient has been validated across a wide range of cell types, including human induced pluripotent stem cells, bovine cells, porcine cells, and fish cells. 

It has been validated extensively in adherent, 2D culture and select 3D bench-scale systems, and we’re working toward collecting validation data in pilot-scale bioreactor environments. 

A recent report by Towards Healthcare highlights that the NEAA cell culture supplements market is witnessing increasing adoption of biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals, advancements in cell culture technology, and the growing investment in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, supported by the pharmaceutical industry's demand for NEAA supplements, particularly in the production of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins. 

North America dominates the market share due to its established research infrastructure and increasing investment in biotech, while the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness rapid growth owing to rising healthcare expenditure and expanding biotechnology sectors.