Alternative Protein Team
Many agree animal welfare is an important issue, but with global meat production still on the rise, what can we actually do to make a real difference? For a technical university, the most impactful approach for tackling animal suffering might be accelerating alternative protein research with the goal of undercutting the meat industry with tastier, cheaper alternatives.
Want to help make this happen? You can stay up to date by joining our Alternative Protein Team WhatsApp group here! The main program we will be running is the 8-week fellowship on this topic hosted by BlueDot Impact.
Projects
The purpose of this Team is to work on the most impactful things that we as TU/e students or faculty can do to tackle animal suffering, or the future of food more generally. In this, we are inspired by the Good Food Institute’s Alternative Protein Project, although other ideas are welcome as well! A lot of their resources are open-source, but if we can find more co-founders we could formally apply to the Alternative Protein Project and receive further support. If you might be interested in this, you can message us in the group chat or schedule a chat with us.
What is the Alt Protein Project?
The Alt Protein Project is a global student movement dedicated to turning universities into engines for alternative protein education, research, and innovation. Students are the driving force behind the Alt Protein Project, which is building momentum at universities around the world.
While students are excited to join the alternative protein field — which has seen tremendous growth in the past decade — they aren’t always aware of the critical role they play in defining the trajectory of our food system from within the university.
Students are the catalysts who can shape university priorities. From driving scientific inquiry that improves the sensory and functional qualities of new protein products to creating educational programs and establishing a talent pipeline for a growing industry, universities will be a cornerstone of the alternative protein ecosystem.
The Good Food Institute established the Alt Protein Project so that motivated, visionary students could lead their universities to transform the way we produce food — creating a system that is sustainable, secure, and just.
Connecting and empowering students
The Alt Protein Project is a nexus for the academic efforts fundamental to building the alternative protein movement. The project is all about creating connections — between tissue engineers and food scientists, entrepreneurial business students and technical innovators, principal investigators and the next generation of research talent.
Most importantly, the Alt Protein Project connects members with the right ideas, questions, and opportunities that will help accelerate a global transition. The result is a network of academic institutions that prioritize plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-enabled protein. This network helps provide this growing alt protein sector with the institutional resources and human ingenuity it needs to scale and feed the world sustainably.
More info about GFI and the Alternative Protein Project can be found here.