USDA announced that it awarded $10 million to Tufts University to launch the National Institute for Cellular Agriculture over the next five years.
The grant is being made by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Sustainable Agricultural Systems program. The new institute will be run by David Kaplan, who currently heads the cellular agriculture program at Tufts University.
The institute aims to “develop outreach, extension and education for the next generation of professionals in cellular agriculture.”
According to Virginia Tech—one of five universities participating in the grant—“the goal is to help achieve a 40 percent increase in American agriculture production with a reduction in environmental footprint by 50 percent.” “Blending our current agricultural practices with plant-based protein and novel cellular agriculture will boost the food supply to meet demand while reducing pressure on natural resources,” said Reza Ovissipour, an assistant professor in the Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology.
