Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Career Feature
  • Published:

CAREER FEATURE

How researchers can join the race to develop new ways of making meat

The sustainable protein sector, which promises to create a better food system for the planet, is part of a growing industry with a lot to offer to young researchers.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Purchase on Springer Link

Instant access to full article PDF

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Alternative protein production platforms.
Fig. 2: Animal product alternatives will occur along a spectrum.
Fig. 3: Annual invested capital and deal counts for the alternative protein sector.

References

  1. Creemers, R. A Machiavellian guide to getting ahead in academia. Times Higher Education (21 December 2017).

  2. Woolston, C. Nature 557, 129–131 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lashuel, H. A. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-00661-w (2020).

  4. The Future of Food and Agriculture – Alternative Pathways to 2050: Supplementary Material (FAO, 2018).

  5. Drewnowski, A. & Monsivais, P. in Present Knowledge in Nutrition 11th edn (eds Marriott, B. P. et al.) Ch. 10 (Academic Press, 2020).

  6. State of the Industry Report: Plant-Based Meat, Eggs, Seafood and Dairy (GFI, 2021).

  7. IPCC: plant-based and cultivated meat can play critical role in halving global emissions by 2030. Good Food Institute (5 April 2022).

  8. LCA of Cultivated Meat: Future Projections for Different Scenarios (CE Delft, 2021).

  9. Plant-Based Meat for a Growing World (GFI, 2021).

  10. Collaborators, A. R. Lancet 399, 629–655 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. New UN report outlines ways to curb growing spread of animal-to-human diseases. United Nations (6 July 2020).

  12. Global Innovation Needs Assessments: Protein Diversity (ClimateWorks Foundation, 2021).

  13. Plant-Based R&D Priorities (GFI, accessed 18 August 2022); https://gfi.org/advancing-solutions-for-alternative-proteins/#plant-based-rd-priorities

  14. Cultivated Meat Modeling Consortium (CMC, accessed 18 August 2022); https://thecmmc.org/

  15. Meet the researcher: algae, sea bass and 3D printing with Diana Marques. Good Food Institute (24 January 2022).

  16. Marques, D. M. C. et al. Bioengineering (Basel) 9, 109 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Increasing the Number, Quality, and Diversity of Alternative Protein-Relevant University Courses (GFI, accessed 18 August 2022); https://gfi.org/solutions/increasing-the-number-quality-and-diversity-of-alternative-protein-relevant-university-courses/

  18. Alternative Protein Curriculum Development and Support (GFI, accessed 18 August 2022); https://gfi.org/resource/alt-protein-curriculum-development-and-support/

  19. Alternative Protein Course Database (GFI, accessed 18 August 2022); https://gfi.org/resource/alternative-protein-course-database/

  20. Building Alternative Protein Courses and Majors (GFI, accessed 18 Aug 2022); https://gfi.org/resource/building-alternative-protein-courses-and-majors/

  21. Protein Society (Cambridge Univ. Alt., accessed 18 August 2022); https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/organisation/7941/

  22. Student Interest in Alternative Protein Education (GFI, accessed 18 August 2022); https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ukJKtvFrK9JxnqLqQU9nexWd2ZAsDIpNWmZ0Xxk1ngc/edit

  23. Meet the researcher: Marius Henkel on providing opportunities for sustainable protein students. Good Food Institute (2022); https://gfieurope.org/blog/meet-the-researcher-marius-henkel-on-providing-opportunities-for-sustainable-protein-students/

  24. The 3Rs (NC3RS, accessed 18 August 2022); https://nc3rs.org.uk/who-we-are/3rs

  25. Public Research Funding (GFI, accessed 18 August 2022); https://gfieurope.org/policy/public-research-funding/

  26. GFI and EIT Food launch Innovation Challenge to bring down cost of cultivating meat. Good Food Institute (1 June 2022).

  27. Netherlands to make biggest ever public investment in cellular agriculture. Good Food Institute (14 April 2022).

  28. Denmark announces 1 billion kroner for plant-based foods in historic climate agreement. Good Food Institute (6 October 2021).

  29. Byrne, J. Nutreco and Mosa Meat awarded €2m grant to advance cellular agriculture. Feed Navigator (21 October 2021).

  30. Ben-David, R. Israeli cultivated meat consortium kicks off with $18 million government grant. Times Israel (19 April 2022).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seren L. Kell.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kell, S.L. How researchers can join the race to develop new ways of making meat. Nat Biotechnol 40, 1414–1417 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-022-01454-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-022-01454-4

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research