1. Overview
The Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN) starts the Moonshot Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research and Development Program to realize the research and development concept, which was set forth by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to achieve the Moonshot Goal 5 "Creation of the industry that enables sustainable global food supply by exploiting unused biological resources by 2050" decided by the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI).
From May 11, 2020 to July 20, 2020, BRAIN invited applications for the position of Project Manager (PM) to oversee the R&D project under the supervision of Dr. CHIBA Kazuhiro, President of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, who is the Program Director (PD) responsible for the overall research and development of the program. After rigorous reviews, 10 PMs have been selected from 37 applicants. Please refer to the attachment for the summary of the PMs and the current project.
2. R&D projects for the Moonshot Goal 5
To achieve the Moonshot Goal 5, the R&D projects on the following two subjects are implemented: food production systems that achieve both expansion of food supply and conservation of the global environment, and food consumption systems aiming at zero food loss and waste.
In the development of food production systems that achieve both expansion of food supply and conservation of the global environment, the following two projects are particularly necessary and promising to increase production without placing additional burden on the global environment, namely, (1) improvement of the functions of crops themselves, and (2) elucidation and demonstration of microbial functions in the soil, which are still largely unexplored. The two projects are implemented by two PMs, one PM for each. In addition, the following four projects are implemented as FS-like projects (*) by four PMs selected each. : (3) food production system using cell culture, (4) conversion of unused wood into feed by using termites, (5) pest control that does not rely on chemical pesticides, and (6) a livestock production system that reduces methane production and improves productivity.
As for the development of food consumption systems aiming at zero food loss and waste, we select one PM each for (7) production of edible insects using lost or wasted food as feed and (8) production of long-term preservable food cartridges for 3D printers from food residues. The projects related to (9) elucidation of global food loss and waste and (10) development of futuristic food products using AI Nutrition are implemented as FS-like projects by two PMs selected each.
Under the direction of the PD, the selected PMs will improve the project contents, including the scenario to achieve the goals of respective projects, project plan, additions and deletions of joint research institutes and collaborators, and research funds, and they will start the research by December 2020.
(*) The feasibility study (FS) -like project is used for proposals that are considered necessary for realizing the R&D concept for Moonshot Goal 5 and challenging, but that need to be examined closely in terms of effectiveness, profitability and technological potentials
Inquires
Strategic research development division
MS team
E-mail : seiken-moonshot[at]ml.affrc.go.jp
Please Replace[at]with @.