Future farmer (+ video): Johanna Melke, Tissue Engineer

We’re excited to share a portrait video of one of our future farmers at Mosa Meat, Johanna Melke, Senior Scientist on our Fat (Tissue) Team. Read our interview with her below.

Where did you grow up, Johanna?

I grew up in a tiny village in Saxony, Germany. It’s in the middle of nowhere, but you have tons of nature, so I was never bored. I would mountain bike in summers, snowboard or go countryside skiing in winters. All my friends lived far away, so I learned to enjoy nature’s company. 

I still love going home to hike or cycle through the woods and along the rivers. It’s so peaceful, you can never get enough of that. 

How did you become interested in science?

I had a really enthusiastic biology teacher in high school. Biology was the first thing I was really interested in, but science was always something I really wanted to know more about. In science, everything can be explained if you think hard enough about it and do the right experiments. I did my homework out of curiosity, not because anyone asked me!

Later on, I decided to do my PhD [at the Eindhoven University of Technology] on tissue engineering. I focused on bone…and from the hardest tissue, I went to the softest one, fat!

That’s right, you joined the Fat (Tissue) Team at Mosa Meat a couple of years ago. What was that like?

In my PhD, I worked quite independently on my project and there were not a lot of other people involved. At Mosa Meat, you have so many people focusing on this big goal – you’re acting as a collective organism. It has been really good to be part of something bigger.

My work didn’t change that much between culturing bone tissue and fat. Essentially, you want to support the cells. You don’t want to manipulate them, you want to accommodate them.

So what is it like being a “cell” farmer?

We’re trying to make the cells feel as comfortable as possible. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just figure out exactly what they want. They’ll do what they’re meant to do. Give them the right cues, the right environment – that is what they’re really after.

Growing up in my village, I was surrounded by farmers. I grew up next to cows. It’s interesting to see how farming is regarded as a very simple job by many people. But actually feeding the world is so complex, and it’s nice to be a part of this mission with cellular agriculture.

You’re an avid climber. When did you start?

I started seven years ago. I climb almost every day, it can be quite addictive. I love that it’s like solving a puzzle using your mind and your body.  It’s this balance between being able to mentally solve a route, but also being strong enough to do what you’re envisioning.

There’s some routes where you think it’s impossible – you can’t even get off the ground. But you don’t give up, you keep going. Sometimes it takes countless trials but eventually you make it to the top. 

What motivates and inspires you most about working at Mosa Meat?

It’s definitely the mission but also Mosa Meat’s amazing team spirit. We all share the same goal and our projects are so intertwined that we work very closely together across teams. Everyone relies on each other and helps wherever they can; we all pull together. 

With our work, there’s always a sense of urgency because of climate change, animal suffering – the world is on fire. You’re trying to solve this as quickly as possible and you know that everyone has to work together to get this done. 

I want to save this planet so I can keep climbing in the most beautiful places!

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