University of Leeds will lead a new £38m centre creating sustainable proteins

A £38m centre dedicated to developing “acceptable” and planet-friendly alternatives to animal proteins is to be headed up by the University of Leeds.

The UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK have announced £15m funding over the next five years for a National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), with the remainder of the support coming from partners.

The centre will be hosted by the University of Leeds and co-led by the James Hutton Institute, the University of Sheffield, and Imperial College London.

The researchers aim to create a pan-UK innovation centre to secure a continuous supply of safe, tasty, affordable, and healthy proteins which also support Net Zero goals and futureproof the UK’s food and animal feed security.

NAPIC’s partners believe the centre will revolutionise the agri-food sector by harnessing world-leading science to create a strategy for alternative proteins which will take them from the discovery and innovation phase, right through to commercialisation.

Professor Anwesha Sarkar, director of research and innovation for Leeds’ School of Food Science and Nutrition, is the project leader for NAPIC. She said she was thrilled by the announcement and believes a phased transition towards low-emission alternative proteins, which have a reduced reliance on animal agriculture, is imperative to deliver sustainability and protein equity.

She explained: “There are many challenges though, and population-level access to, and acceptance of, alternative proteins is currently hindered by a highly complex marketplace, and there are worries about taste, nutritional equivalence and cost, as well as health and safety concerns for consumers and the fear of diminished livelihoods for farmers.

“NAPIC will provide a robust and sustainable platform for open innovation and responsible data exchange and collaboration with partners from industry, regulators, academic partners and policy makers that mitigates the risks associated with this emerging sector, and also addresses the short- and longer-term concerns of consumers and producers.”

Professor Nick Plant, Leeds’ deputy vice-chancellor: research and innovation, added: “This revolutionary new centre is testament to the groundbreaking research into alternative proteins already taking place at the University and it will ensure the UK continues to be at the forefront of reducing population health inequalities.

“Finding sustainable alternatives to animal proteins is one of the biggest challenges faced by the planet and its people and we are honoured that Leeds has been chosen to co-lead this interdisciplinary team of talented researchers.”

Over 30 researchers from the four institutions and more than 120 NAPIC partners will work closely with industry, regulators, investors, and policymakers to create an alternative protein innovation ecosystem and produce a clear roadmap for the development of a National Protein Strategy for the UK.

Together they will work on four “interdisciplinary knowledge pillars” to unlock the benefits of alternative proteins.

The “Produce” pillar will be led by Professor Derek Stewart of the James Hutton Institute. “Process” will be led by Professor Karen Polizzi of Imperial College London. “People” will be led by Professor Louise Dye of the University of Sheffield. “Perform” will be led by Leeds’ Professor Anwesha Sarkar. The leaders said:

• NAPIC will enable us to Produce the tasty, nutritious, safe, and affordable AP foods and feedstocks necessary to safeguard present and future generations, while addressing concerns about ultra-processed foods and assisting a just-transition for producers.
• The Process Pillar will act as a catalyst for the mainstreaming of cultivated meat and precision fermentation to diversify and accelerate upscaling of alternative proteins.
• NAPIC will ensure that alternative proteins Perform both before consumption and afterwards, taking on board taste and texture and safeguarding public health.
• The People pillar aims to deliver a just transition to an AP-rich future and will guide consumers’ dietary transition, focusing on affordability and acceptability, offering benefits for health, identifying new business opportunities for farmers, and future-proofing the UK’s protein supply against reliance on imports.

Related content