In this stylized interview, David Kaplan provides a personal look into the daily life and inspirations behind the Kaplan Lab. He shares the history of the Biomedical Engineering department at Tufts, which he helped found over twenty years ago to meet a surge in student interest. Throughout the conversation, Professor Kaplan emphasizes that his primary motivation is his students, highlighting the passion and leadership of early researchers like Natalie Rubio, who helped establish the cellular agriculture program in earnest seven years ago.
The discussion also covers the lab’s significant milestones, including a major USDA grant that has allowed Tufts to serve as a national center of excellence for future foods. David Kaplan explains the potential of cellular agriculture to provide safer, more sustainable alternatives to traditional meat, touching on unique projects like cultivated insect cells and personalized “therapeutic foods.” He remains optimistic about the field’s evolution, envisioning a future where farmers and academic researchers work together to create a more resilient and diverse global food system.