Good Food Institute launches $3m research grant

The money will be awarded to projects led by scientists from around the world and from any sector to advance knowledge within the fields of plant-based and clean meat.

The Good Food Institute has estimated that less than 0.3% of the world’s universities are currently engaged in plant-based meat (PBM) or clean meat (CM) research.

To jump-start this research, the Good Food Institute has identified the universities with the greatest potential to advance the important fields of plant-based and clean meat (see table below).

“While most of these schools are not yet working in these fields, their potential to become leaders in plant-based and clean meat research is impressive,”​ said scientific foundations liaison Dr Erin Rees Clayton. “We would be thrilled to work with them to realise their potential to do cutting-edge science that will ultimately improve global health, food security and environmental stewardship.”​

There have already been examples of universities having a major impact in the space. USDA-funded research at the University of Missouri was key for the plant-based meat company Beyond Meat while Dr Mark Post’s research at Maastricht University led to the first clean meat burger in 2013, followed by the formation of the clean meat company Mosa Meats.

“There are so many interesting scientific questions to answer​,” says Dr David Welch, director of science and technology. “What are the best cell types and cell culture methods for clean meat production? Which crops produce the best plant-based meats and are best suited for growth in each region of the world? It’s a curious mind’s dream.”​