natalierubio

- network with anyone/everyone in the field, feel free to cold email, add on linkedin, approach at conferences... etc.

- figure out in what way you'd like to contribute (what's your ideal job posting?)

- initiate independent projects! perform a small study, write an opinion article, create infographics, etc.

p.s. avery parkinson (the executive director of cell ag canada + a high school student) is a great example of someone who took initiative to get involved (only a couple of years ago!) & now she's a leader in the field

this is a pretty complex question, actually! there are a few published "life cycle assessments" (i.e., environmental impact analyses) on cultured meat production. however, they largely rely on speculative scenarios rather than real-world data. here is a link to some of the papers: https://bit.ly/30yLHvd

it's hard to be confident about exact numbers but - water consumption and land use for cultured meat should be much lower than for farmed meat. GHG emissions/energy consumption are driven by energy consumption for bioreactor operation and ingredient production for culture media; so it is dependent on the types of energy used (i.e., conventional vs. renewable). IN GENERAL - current predictions suggest that cultured meat is similar in sustainability to chicken/pork in that it is less impactful for beef. future improvements in technology would make cultured meat more sustainable than most farmed meat.

you can also check out figure 5 from this paper: https://go.nature.com/3jmzY9D which compares some results for conventional vs. cultured vs. plant-based meat :) (although different studies are difficult to compare because they all use different assumptions, exclude different processes, etc.!!)

yes, really! some random thoughts:

- i am not saying cultured insect meat should be the first product on the market; i do understand the consumer perception challenges. luckily, in academia, we get to innovate on longer timelines. if people get onboard with cultured beef, maybe they will then be open to trying vow foods' cultured kangaroo or cultured caterpillar.

- powdered insect protein doesn't make a good meat substitute because it's a protein alternative - not a meat alternative. by targeting muscle and fat tissues, we can create products that give a similar sensory experience to chicken/seafood/etc. - the cell source is just unconventional. people who eat insects that have a lot of muscle and fat (think caterpillars, grubs - not crickets) report them tasting like chicken, shrimp, mushrooms... very umami, the reviews aren't bad.

- i've actually never met anyone that WOULD try cultured meat but WOULD NOT try cultured insect meat; i assumed that would be the case, but when i actually sit down & have conversations - people are open to at least trying a bite.

- entomophagy is not popular in present day, Western-diet cultures. but at different periods of history (indigenous tribes prior to colonization) and in different places (80% of the countries have some type of edible insect staple in their diets) - it's not that big of a deal. there are more consumers/markets out there than are typically considered...

- insect cells have huge benefits over mammalian cells, related to cost, scalability, sustainability... potentially nutrition. read any of my papers! to not consider something just because some people think it's weird i think is a missed opportunity.

- i have so much more to say, but i'll stop here for now! :)

the counter article is great, very well researched! the TEA mentioned in the article (https://engrxiv.org/795su/) is an awesome read (esp. for those with chemical engineering backgrounds).

the article/TEA are exciting to me because they indicate that there is a huge need for academic efforts in this field - because there are difficult problems that can be solved through innovation, collaboration, new ways of thinking, looking for inspiration from industries other than biotech...

if anyone wants to get involved in the cultured meat space & isn't sure where to get started - (1) read the humbird TEA, (2) pick one of the many highlighted problems, (3) dive into reading about the relevant technologies, (4) talk to experts and (5) brainstorm new & crazy ways to address the problem!! finally - (6) write & post what you discovered along the way :)

i love this question! here's what i've been doing lately - i'll start by asking what they identify as the biggest problems in our food system. then i'll address those specific problems with cellular agriculture solutions. centering the conversation around one issue that the person you're talking to cares about the most is a great way to focus the conversation - it's ok to leave out some of the other technical details or even other potential benefits. (i've also been learning to talk less + listen more in these situations!)