Circular, Sustainable Bioeconomy ¿ Transforming Cultivated Meat Production with Cost-Effective Amino Acids from Microalgae (2026-2027)
Abstract
Australia faces increasing pressure to balance food security, sustainability, and economic resilience. By 2050, the global population will reach 10 billion, raising the need for sustainable protein alternatives - the most costly macronutrient. Cultivated meat (CM), real meat grown in a nutrient broth called media, offers a sustainable solution to secure Australia¿TM)s protein supply while reducing environmental and ethical impacts. Australia has a regulatory head start to lead this sector, being one of only four nations to approve CM for consumption. The global CM market is expected to hit US $4.9B by 2035, growing 18% annually. Yet, CM production is very costly (up to $51/kg), with 90% of costs from media. Amino acids, protein building blocks and key media components, make up nearly half of these costs. This project proposes a scalable, cost-effective circular solution using microalgae, edible, single-celled plants that produce all essential amino acids from light, CO2, and water. Tog
