** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS THE WORLD POPULATION INCREASES TO 10 BILLION BY 2050, TOTAL FOOD AND MEAT PRODUCTION MUST RISE BY 70 AND 100%, RESPECTIVELY, TO SATISFY GLOBAL DEMAND. THE US FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEM FACES SEVERAL ISSUES IN MEETING THIS DEMAND DUE TO LIMITED AVAILABLE AGRICULTURAL WATER AND LAND AND INCREASED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. INCREASING WATER SCARCITY IN MAJOR PRODUCTION REGIONS AND INCREASING VULNERABILITY TO DISRUPTIONS FROM NATURAL DISASTERS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE ARE JUST SOME OF THE GROWING ISSUES THAT PROMPT THE NEED FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN MEAT PRODUCTION. ALSO, A CRITICAL CHALLENGE IN FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS IS FOOD LOSS ISSUES THAT PRESENT SIGNIFICANT SUSTAINABILITY AND SECURITY CHALLENGES, WITH 60 PERCENT OF MEAT BECOMING PROCESSING WASTE (1.4 BILLION TONS FOR LIVESTOCK; 800 MILLION TONS FOR SEAFOOD). NEW SOURCES OF SUSTAINABLE PROTEIN WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE THESE CONCERNS AND ARE THE FOCUS OF THE PRESENT PROPOSAL. CULTIVATED MEAT PRODUCTION IS EMERGING AS A FEASIBLE SOLUTION TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE SOCIETAL PROBLEMS BY DEVELOPING NEW SUSTAINABLE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS TO FEED A RAPIDLY GROWING GLOBAL POPULATION. THIS INDUSTRY WILL PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS AND SAFE FOODS WHILE REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND RESOURCE USAGE (78-96% FEWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, 99% LESS LAND USE, AND 82-96% LESS WATER USE). THIS PROJECT AIMS TO INNOVATE THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN FROM CELL TO FORK AND ENHANCE FOOD SUSTAINABILITY, NUTRITION, AND FOOD SECURITY BY DEVELOPING A CELL-BASED MEAT PLATFORM BASED ON THE INTEGRATION OF PHYSICAL, BIOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES. CULTIVATED-MEAT PRODUCTION IS EMERGING AS AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF SUSTAINABLE PROTEIN TO HELP ADDRESS NUTRITION AND FOOD SAFETY FOR CONSUMER CHOICES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTIVATED-MEAT FACES MANY OBSTACLES ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE: (A) QUESTIONS RELATED TO CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE, PERCEPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS; (B) TECHNICAL SOUND LIFE CYCLE AND TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSES; (C) LIMITED ACCESS TO LOW-COST MEDIA AND SUITABLE CELL LINES IMPACTING SCALABILITY; (B) LACK OF AVAILABLE SUSTAINABLE BIOMATERIALS TO ACHIEVE NUTRITIOUS, SAFE, AND ORGANOLEPTICALLY ACCURATE CULTIVATED-MEAT; (C) LACK OF SYSTEMATIC APPROACHES FOR TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PROFESSIONALS. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT A SUSTAINABLE, COST-EFFECTIVE, AND SCALABLE CULTIVATED-MEAT PLATFORM WILL INCREASE FOOD AVAILABILITY OPTIONS FOR CONSUMERS, WHILE DECREASING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. THIS PROPOSED WORK AIMS TO DEVELOP NEW ADOPTABLE TECHNO-ECONOMICALLY VIABLE CULTIVATED-MEAT SYSTEMS AND DEVELOP NEW EDUCATIONAL PLATFORMS FOR TRAINING FUTURE PROFESSIONALS THROUGH SPECIFIC AIMS: 1. EVALUATE CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE AND CONSUMER WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY FOR CULTIVATED MEATS, AS WELL AS FLAVOR PROFILES; 2. ANALYZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF CULTIVATED MEAT PRODUCTS IN THE US; 3. OUTREACH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PROFESSIONALS FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT; 4. DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE PLURIPOTENT STEM-CELL LINE PLATFORM; 5. DEVELOP ECONOMICALLY VIABLE SERUM-FREE MEDIA; 6. DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE BIOMATERIALS SCAFFOLDS, AND TISSUE ENGINEERING STRATEGIES, TO SUPPORT MEAT QUALITY; 7. OPTIMIZE THE PROCESSES AND BIOMATERIALS INTEGRATION TO ENHANCE NUTRITIONAL VALUE, QUALITY, AND SAFETY.