Impact stories of the Alt Protein Project
With more than 70 university chapters worldwide, student leaders of the Alt Protein Project accomplish new feats every day across our five core objectives: education, research, innovation, community, and awareness.
Overview
Since its inception in 2020, the Alt Protein Project (APP) has expanded from five pilot universities to over 70 universities in 20 countries. In the past four years, the APP community has grown tremendously–and so has its impact on the alternative protein movement. Scroll through this impact page for a glimpse at the incredible alternative protein accomplishments students are driving forward on their campuses and beyond.
Community
Building a thriving and inclusive community is at the core of the Alt Protein Project’s objectives and accomplishments. Students are eager to make a significant impact on their campuses through new courses, research, and conferences, and this is only possible with a strong, diverse, and welcoming community as their foundation. APP students at each university host leadership bonding events like winter cabin trips or team dinners as well as larger community events to welcome new members like plant-based sushi-making competitions and “plant jams” on the quad.
Alumni
Active student members
Events
Attendees
Education
Student leaders of the Alt Protein Projects are making waves by creating their universities’ inaugural modules, courses, and degree programs on alternative proteins. From UNC’s Cellular Agriculture Revolution course (offered annually since 2022) to the Protein Diversification track in EIT Food’s Master in Food Systems, the APP is creating the training infrastructure to educate hundreds of new students each year on the future of food.
Nine unique alternative protein courses, with reiterations for these courses:
- Stanford: Rethinking Meat
- Johns Hopkins: Future Food Manufacturing
- Tel Aviv: Cultivated Meat and Plant-Based Meat
- NMBU: Alternative Proteins
- UNC-Chapel Hill: The Cellular Agriculture Revolution
When creating their fully-accredited, alternative protein course, the JHU APP team had ambitious goals. In addition to covering the science and engineering that powers all three pillars of alternative proteins, the course would also provide students with real-world industry experience. Instead of final exams, students worked alongside alternative protein start-ups to overcome actual obstacles to alternative protein adoption and commercialization.
Partner start-ups in 2022: New Wave Biotech, Fermify, Hoxton Farms, Mooji Meats, and Edge Foods
“I taught my first lecture yesterday for UNC’s first class on cellular agriculture and cultivated meat. I have been blown away by the level of engagement and enthusiasm from the students and am increasingly optimistic about our future.”
-Doug Phanstiel, lead instructor for UNC-Chapel Hill APP’s course: The Cellular Agriculture Revolution
Awareness
Raising awareness is essential for bringing new audiences and resources into the alternative through influencing new faculty researchers to enter the field and protein orbit. Student leaders are using their platforms to invite diverse communities — from middle schoolers to government officials — into the future food conversation.
University of Nigeria APP hosts symposium for over 300 people
The University of Nigeria APP chapter hosted its first symposium on campus in February of 2024: “The role of students and academia in the transition to a sustainable protein future in Nigeria.” During the two day event, over 300 in-person attendees from across Nigeria learned about the three pillars of alternative proteins through a full itinerary of speakers, panels, networking sessions, and delicious food samples.
Wageningen APP helps convince Dutch government to invest in alternative proteins
In 2022, the Wageningen APP spread awareness to new audiences by advocating for alt proteins to Dutch government officials. The APP student leaders contributed to the education segment of the project dossier that swayed the Dutch government to invest €60M in cellular agriculture education and research over the next five years.
Conferences
APP students have planned and executed eight different conferences and symposiums, amassing over 900 attendees:
- University of Colorado, Boulder: Global Student Symposium
- Duke University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Making Alt Proteins the New Default (2022, 2023)
- San Diego State University: The San Diego Alt Protein Summit
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL): Meat the Future
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka: Role of students and academia in the transition to a sustainable protein future in Nigeria
- Tufts University: Food 4 Thought
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Federal University of Minas Gerais: 1st Conference on Alternative Proteins
Media
APPatEIT
The EIT Food APP team releases episodes every other week for their cleverly named podcast, APPatEIT Bites, covering the latest news from the alternative protein scene in Europe and beyond.
Wageningen
Now in its third season, the Wageningen Alternative Protein Podcast invites new guests from across the alternative protein sector to share their unique insights and expertise with its hosts and listeners.
Research
APP students are paving the way for scientific progress in alternative proteins. They’re driving groundbreaking research, both through influencing new faculty researchers to enter the field and through their own student-led research.
Alternative protein research
projects
secured in research grants by APP students
Waterloo APP wins grants from GFI, New Harvest for computational cultivated seafood research
As undergraduates, the Waterloo APP team successfully won research grants from both GFI and New Harvest. Their winning proposal focused on the intersection of alternative proteins and AI: Single-Cell Multiomic Profiling for Cultivated Seafood: Antibody Development and Understanding Differentiation.
Not only did these students successfully secure research grants, they also introduced several new faculty researchers into the field to do so. These new AP researchers come from adjacent fields including:
- Fish immunology
- Health studies
- Biology
- Applied math
UIUC APP’s legacy of securing university grants for cultivated meat and seafood research
In 2020, Aidan Brougham-Cook, co-founder of Illinois Alt. Protein Project, received $10,000 in funding from the UIUC Student Sustainability Committee to start a pilot cultivated meat research project on campus.
Just three years later, the chapter continued its pursuit of new student research by initiating a new research project (Developing and Testing Plant-Based Scaffolds for Fish Cell-Lines) in Dr. Gregory Underhill’s lab and received funding from their university’s center for undergraduate research.
Blog
Students are building Brazil’s alternative protein ecosystem from all sides
The UFMG Alt Protein Project is introducing innovative alt protein solutions to diverse audiences across Brazil, from faculty researchers to eager middle schoolers.
Innovation
APP students are determined to enter and innovate within the alternative protein field by bridging the gap between academia and industry. In addition to the internships, co-ops, and jobs they secure, they organize hands-on, industry initiatives including company site tours and new product tastings/sensory evaluations. Some students even develop their own alternative protein start-ups! These academia-industry partnerships always prove to be mutually beneficial: students gain direct experience with the alternative protein field, while participating organizations gain insights from the younger generation and connect with the future leaders of the field.
alternative protein jobs & internships secured by APP students
Dozens of companies have partnered with APP chapters for sensory panels, site tours, internships and jobs, panels, guest lectures, and more, including:
- Impossible
- Beyond
- Tender Foods
- Wildtype
- TurtleTree
- Mission Barns
Armaan Dhanda and Samyak Baid, presidents of the NUS APP and co-founders of Pawsible Foods
In addition to leading the NUS APP chapter in Singapore, Armaan Dhanda and Samyak Baid are also co-founders of Pawsible Foods, a pet nutrition company that uses fermentation technology to convert food side streams into alternative protein.
UC Davis APP provides sensory feedback for alternative protein startups throughout the Bay Area
Thanks to their proximity to the San Francisco Bay area, the UC Davis APP has partnered with countless alternative protein companies to learn about their innovative processes and taste new products, all while providing valuable sensory feedback in return. In addition to the Current Foods’ tuna tasting pictured above, Davis APP students have reviewed products like Black Sheep Foods’ lamb and Prime Roots’ deli meat!
APP Alumni take the field by storm
Many program alumni work in the alternative protein field after graduating, applying the knowledge and experience from the APP in their exciting, mission-driven careers. Read a few alumni spotlights here:
Alumni of the Alt Protein Project: where are they now?
Discover the journeys of two emerging scientists, their entry into a cutting-edge field, and what helped them get there.
Alumni of the Alt Protein Project: cultivating key skills beyond the classroom
How an engineer and a food scientist built practical skills through experiential learning opportunities.
Support the next generation of alternative protein leaders
The Alt Protein Project’s impact would not be possible without the generous support of GFI donors. Are you interested in supporting the next generation of alternative protein change-makers? Consider making a gift and joining our global community of donors.
Connect with us
Are you a student passionate about growing the alternative protein ecosystem at your university and around the world? Learn how to get involved with the Alt Protein Project and connect with us! We also have communities for those excited to become industry partners or educators of the APP. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news and events!
Related resources
The Alt Protein Project
Students play a pivotal role in building the alternative protein ecosystem. Explore how you can start a student group at your university to accelerate the global transition to the future…
The Alt Protein Project Directory
Explore our database of Alt Protein Project student groups working to build the future of food at universities around the globe.
The alt protein student resource hub
Use this repository of helpful tools, templates, tips, and tricks to turn your university into an engine for alternative protein innovation.
The alternative protein ecosystem
Discover global hubs of alternative protein innovation with our interactive map.
