Future Foods for Space (FFS)

Project Overview

The TRISH SHIP Future Foods for Space (FFS) project was awarded in May 2024 and will support the development of a research ecosystem focused on the use of alternative proteins and cultivated meat to optimize nutrition and space health in low earth orbit and other resource-constrained environments. The collaborative project is administered by the UC Davis Biotechnology Program under the leadership of PI Jamison-McClung in partnership with the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA). The UC Davis team will also work closely with colleagues at the Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein (iCAMP) to engage interested members of this research community in Future Foods for Space. 

For more information on the project or to join the community listserv, please contact biotechprogram@ucdavis.edu. 

Team Members

UC Davis

• Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung (Biotechnology Program)
• Prof. Karen McDonald (Chemical Engineering)
• Prof. Somen Nandi (Chemical Engineering)

Tufts University

• Prof. David Kaplan (Biomedical Engineering)
• Dr. Matt McNulty (Center for Cellular Agriculture)

Opportunities to Engage

During Year 1 of the award period, the FFS team will offer a virtual webinar series for UC Davis and Tufts University research faculty interested in learning more about the challenges and opportunities related to developing cultivated meat and alternative proteins for uses in space. The overarching goal of the FFS project is to bring new people and new ideas into the space health research arena. FFS participants will be introduced to research mentors working to develop similar technologies and invited to apply for seed grants to support pilot projects. At the close of Year 1, FFS participants will take part in a Research and Innovation Training Workshop at UC Davis. During Year 2, the webinar series will be offered for second time and pilot research will be carried out by funded investigators. We will highlight research outcomes at the closing symposium hosted by Tufts University in Spring 2026. 

Year 1 (2024 - 2025)

• Future Foods for Space Educational Webinar Series
  • Webinar 1 - September 16, 2024 - Dr. Gioia Massa, "Introducing Food Innovation in the Context of Space Health"
  • Webinar 2 - December 12, 2024 - Dr. Michael Wiederoder, "Opportunities for Future Foods in Space Health Researcher"
  • Webinar 3 - February 13, 2025 - Dr. Grace Douglas, "Future Foods in Space Health Research" 
• Future Foods for Space New Investigator Pilot Research Projects (Cohort 1)
• Future Foods for Space Research and Innovation Workshop (April 22-23, 2025)

Year 2 (2025 - 2026)

• Future Foods for Space Mentorship Network
• Future Foods for Space New Investigator Pilot Research Projects (Cohort 2)
• Future Foods for Space Research and Innovation Symposium (January 2026 [tentative])

Related Resources

• TRISH SHIP Press Release by Aaron Nieto (May 9, 2024)
• Moonshots: Inside the UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research (May 3, 2024)
• U.S. Space Command Welcomes UC Davis as its 33rd Academic Engagement Enterprise Member (February 6, 2024)

Award Acknowledgement

This work is supported by the Baylor College of Medicine's Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) - Space Health Ingress Program (SHIP) through NASA NNX16AO69A.