The Science of Alt Protein: Environmental and social performance of cultivated meat
Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, Ph.D.
Tufts University
Event description
Cultivated meat has attracted attention for its potential to help meet consumer demand for proteins while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving animal welfare, and enhancing food safety. At the same time, cultivated meat represents competition – and at scale, a potential existential threat – to livestock producers, workers, and their communities. In this talk, Dr. Blackstone will summarize what is known about the environmental and social sustainability of cultivated meat to date, discuss research her lab is leading in both spaces, and highlight critical gaps in knowledge that must be addressed to move the field forward toward a sustainable future.
***Please note: This seminar will not be recorded, so you will need to attend the live presentation to benefit from our speaker’s insights.
Meet the speaker
Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, Ph.D.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, FRIEDMAN SCHOOL OF NUTRITION SCIENCE AND POLICY & DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
Nicole Tichenor Blackstone is an Assistant Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy & Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University. Dr. Blackstone is a sustainability scientist who studies the environmental and social impacts of food system innovations, interventions, and policies. Currently, she leads the Leading a Sustainability Transition in Nutrition Globally (LASTING) Project, which aims to produce evidence-based recommendations, models, and data for integrated sustainability assessment of diets.
Dr. Blackstone is also a founding affiliated faculty member of the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture. She leads several projects focused on measuring the environmental and social impacts of cultivated meat systems and co-leads Tufts’ USDA-funded National Institute of Cellular Agriculture.
Upcoming events
View all events
Apply to join the Alt Protein Project
Applications to join the Alt Protein Project are now live! Attend our information session to discover how you can play a pivotal role in bringing the alternative protein movement to…
The Science of Alt Protein: Bean breeding and genetics for sustainable protein production
Learn how advances in dry bean breeding and genetics can support both agricultural performance and food quality outcomes.
Apply to join the Alt Protein Project
Applications to join the Alt Protein Project are now live! Attend our information session to discover how you can play a pivotal role in bringing the alternative protein movement to…
Future of Protein Production – Chicago
GFI is heading to Chicago! Join Bruce Friedrich, Patrick McAuley, and leading voices across science, policy, and industry for a solutions-focused summit on the future of food.
Informational Hearing – How the Alternative Protein Industry Helps Cultivate California’s Circular Agricultural Bioeconomy
California’s agricultural future is circular—and alternative proteins are at the center of it.
Future Food-Tech San Francisco – Breaking Barriers to Scale: Cost, Efficiency, and De-Risking Bioprocessing
From modular systems to shared infrastructure, the future of bioprocessing is getting real. Join GFI’s Amanda Hildebrand at Future Food-Tech San Francisco as she moderates a dynamic breakout session on…
