In this episode of the Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast, Sophie Letcher discusses her multidisciplinary path from neuroscience to her current role as a PhD student and New Harvest Research Fellow in the Kaplan Lab. Sophie details her innovative research into developmental bioelectricity, which explores how controlling the electrical charge of cells can instruct tissue growth and maturation. By manipulating these natural signals, she aims to enhance the efficiency of muscle development for cultivated meat, potentially leading to products with customized textures or improved nutritional profiles.
The conversation also highlights Sophie’s work in entomoculture, the practice of growing meat from insect cells. Building on the foundation established by other researchers in the lab, she explains how insect cells offer unique advantages for large scale production, such as their ability to grow at room temperature and survive on fewer resources. Her work has even extended into space research through the deep space food challenge, where her team explored how these hardy cells could provide sustainable nutrition for astronauts on long duration missions. Sophie encourages those from all scientific backgrounds to enter the field, emphasizing that diverse perspectives are essential for the continued evolution of cellular agriculture.