Sustainable Proteins: Towards Building a Resilient Agri-Food System

Zoom | This talk will provide an overview of sustainable proteins and their role and importance in the global agri-food system.

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Rohan Shirwaiker, PhD

James T. Ryan Professor in ISE and Co-director of Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at NC State University | Profile

Rohan A. Shirwaiker is the James T. Ryan Professor in Industrial & Systems Engineering and Co-Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at NC State University. Shirwaiker’s interdisciplinary research program focuses on the advanced manufacturing of biological products for medical and sustainable food applications, and his work has been supported by several grants from the NSF, NIH, ARMI BiofabUSA, Bezos Earth Fund, and other funding agencies. He has co-authored over 150 journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, technical reports, and patent applications. As the Co-director of the Bezos Center at NC State, Shirwaiker leads a large multidisciplinary team of researchers, educators, and trainees on R&D, workforce development, and capacity-building efforts focused on sustainable biomanufacturing of plant-based, fermentation-made, and cell-cultivated meats. In addition, he engages with various external stakeholders including industry partners and policy makers to facilitate and advance the translation of new sustainable foods. Shirwaiker has received various professional recognitions including the NSF CAREER Award, IISE Fellow Award, and SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award. In addition to being an active researcher and educator, he continues to serve in various leadership roles for professional societies and non-profits.

Abstract

Prudent management of the relationship between food and the environment has become critical. To sustainably feed the growing global population estimated to reach 10 billion by 2050, food production must be strongly adapted to increase efficiency while simultaneously reducing energy, land, and water use, amongst other impacts. Sustainable proteins will be an important part of the solution. This talk will provide an overview of plant-based and animal and microbial cell-based sustainable proteins and their complementary role in the global agri-food system moving forward. The efforts of the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at NC State in advancing this emerging domain will also be highlighted.

Related links:

• Goodwin, C. M., Aimutis, W. R., & Shirwaiker, R. A. (2024). A scoping review of cultivated meat techno-economic analyses to inform future research directions for scaled-up manufacturing. Nature Food, 5(11), 901-910. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-024-01061-3
• Aimutis, W. R., & Shirwaiker, R. (2024). A perspective on the environmental impact of plant-based protein concentrates and isolates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(50), e2319003121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2319003121
• Alt Protein Project at NC State

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