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Building impact through opportunity: Professor Ramiro Alberio on PluriCells, partnership and entrepreneurial thinking

For Ramiro Alberio, Professor of Developmental Biology, commercialisation did not begin with a formal spin-out goal. Instead, it started with a simple question from industry: could his world-leading technology be made available commercially?

That conversation led to the creation of , a platform focused on providing highly specialised pluripotent stem cell lines for cultivated meat research and development. Today, PluriCells is a recognised brand, working with partners in the UK, Europe and the USA, supplying bespoke sheep, pig and cattle stem cell lines alongside tailored growth media to both academic and commercial organisations.

At the centre of the work is a growing global interest in cultivated meat technologies and the adjacent systems needed to support future food production. Professor Alberio’s research sits at the very beginning of that supply chain, helping provide the expertise and cell technologies that underpin wider innovation across the sector.

What is striking about Professor Alberio’s journey, however, is that it has not followed a conventional founder pathway. Initially, the opportunity emerged through licensing agreements developed with support from the º£½ÇºÚÁÏ’s technology transfer office. Rather than immediately forming a company, Professor Alberio built a model around licensing know-how and technology directly to commercial partners. As the science developed, demand grew, with multiple organisations seeking access to the cell lines and associated expertise developed in his lab.

Importantly, this commercial activity also supported his academic work. Revenue generated through licensing could be reinvested directly into research activity, helping support staff, develop new technologies and strengthen the wider research programme.

Alongside this came a gradual development of entrepreneurial confidence and commercial awareness.

“I think being able to spot opportunities is important. That comes from listening to commercial partners, networking and understanding what the sector actually needs.”

Ramiro Alberio, Professor of Developmental Biology and founder of PluriCell

Over time, those conversations helped shape not only the core technology, but also complementary products such as specialist media and growth factors. Professor Alberio describes his approach as “developing projects together over time”, building connections between research, industry need and emerging opportunities.

While parts of the cultivated meat sector experienced significant commercial volatility, Professor Alberio notes that academic demand and international research collaboration have continued to grow strongly. His work now supports researchers, engineers, policy development and emerging infrastructure across the wider ecosystem.

Alongside commercial partnerships, Professor Alberio is involved in regulatory and policy discussions through the Food Standards Agency sandbox programme and collaborations with organisations exploring how cultivated meat production may integrate with existing agricultural systems in the future.

For Professor Alberio, knowledge exchange is an important part of academic identity. He believes entrepreneurial activity has made his academic career “more interesting and more fun”, while also helping demonstrate impact, address current societal problems, such as food security, build networks and create new research opportunities. At the same time, he recognises that this kind of work requires time, visibility and proactive engagement beyond traditional academic pathways.

Perhaps most importantly, Professor Alberio’s story highlights that entrepreneurial thinking in academia is not always about creating a high-growth spin-out from day one. Sometimes it begins through relationships, curiosity and a willingness to engage with problems beyond the laboratory gradually building impact, confidence and opportunity over time.

From research to impact: Nottingham’s innovation ecosystem

What makes Nottingham distinctive is that all the pillars required to build successful spin-outs sit under one roof. Our research excellence, commercialisation expertise, investor engagement, and long-term business support are fully integrated. This connectivity enables innovators to move more seamlessly from discovery to real-world impact, backed by the full strength of the university and its knowledge exchange professionals.