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Dr. Camilo Riquelme-Guzmán Receives the “Dr. Humberto Maturana Romesín” Prize

The Kaplan Lab is incredibly proud to celebrate postdoctoral researcher Dr. Camilo Riquelme-Guzmán for receiving the prestigious “Dr. Humberto Maturana Romesín” prize for early career researchers. Awarded by the Chilean Society for Biology at their annual meeting in Valparaíso, this honor recognizes Camilo’s outstanding contributions to biological research. During the event, Camilo joined fellow awardees Diyanira Castillo Novales, Simón P. Castillo, and Korina Ocampo-Zuleta to present their work and discuss the future of the field with distinguished leaders like Dr. Michael Seeger and Dr. Rosa Devés. Camilo expressed deep gratitude for the mentors and colleagues who have supported his scientific… Read More »Dr. Camilo Riquelme-Guzmán Receives the “Dr. Humberto Maturana Romesín” Prize

TUCCA and the Kaplan Lab are Open-Sourcing the Future of Food

We are so proud of our team at the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA) for partnering with the Good Food Institute to launch a first-of-its-kind open-access cell bank. Led by Assistant Professor and lab alum Andrew Stout, this initiative “composts” cutting-edge technology from closed startups (like the scalable beef cell lines from SCiFi Foods) to make them available to researchers worldwide. It’s a major step toward ensuring that vital progress in cultivated meat stays in the hands of the scientific community to help the entire field move forward. Citation: Open-Sourcing the Future of Food

Ying Chen Awarded USDA NIFA Grant

The Kaplan Lab is excited to celebrate Research Faculty member Dr. Ying Chen on her recent grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Dr. Chen will be utilizing our lab’s human intestinal models to investigate the safety and nutritional profile of cultivated meat, providing essential data for this growing industry. This award is a wonderful recognition of her expertise and the impactful research being done here to advance the future of food. Citation: Chen awarded USDA NIFA grant

Nature reviews materials issue cover image. The image is of a burger with a petri dish with muscle cells in it as the patty.

Kaplan Lab Research Featured on the Cover of Nature Reviews Materials

The Kaplan Lab is excited to share a recent review paper, “Biomaterial-driven solutions for the future of food,” published in Nature Reviews Materials was selected as the cover art for the July 2025 issue of the journal. The paper, which explores how biomaterials can help create a more sustainable food system, was led by Research Technician, and incoming PhD student, Edward B. Gordon. To learn more check out the articles and paper below! Citations: Maintaining a healthy planet with future foods (Tufts Now) Biomaterials in cellular agriculture and plant-based foods for the future (Nature Reviews Materials) Nature Reviews Materials, Volume… Read More »Kaplan Lab Research Featured on the Cover of Nature Reviews Materials

Kaplan Lab Alumni Joins the Tufts Department of Biomedical Engineering as an Assistant Professor

The Kaplan Lab is thrilled to welcome back Dr. Andrew Stout, a former PhD student, who will be joining the Tufts faculty as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Stout, who also co-founded Deco Labs with fellow Kaplan Lab alumni, brings extensive experience in cellular agriculture and a deep commitment to advancing the future of food. We are excited to see him inspire the next generation of researchers in this field. To learn more check out Dr. Stout’s appointment, check out the article below! Citation: Stout Joins the Department of Biomedical Engineering (Tufts University School of… Read More »Kaplan Lab Alumni Joins the Tufts Department of Biomedical Engineering as an Assistant Professor

Huge Wins for Kaplan Lab Students and Their Venture, EntoCellular!

A massive congratulations to our PhD students, Sophie Lecter and Michael Saad! Their new venture, EntoCellular, recently took home first place in the Life Science track of the 2025 Tufts New Ventures Competition. On top of that incredible win, they have also been accepted into the highly competitive MassChallenge Switzerland 2025 accelerator program. We are so proud of the work they are doing and can’t wait to see what’s next for them and EntoCellular! To learn more check out EntoCellular, check out the articles below. Citations: Winners Announced in 2025 Tufts New Ventures Competition Finals (Gordon Institute News) TUCCA Announcement… Read More »Huge Wins for Kaplan Lab Students and Their Venture, EntoCellular!

The Connection Between Concussions, Viruses, and Alzheimer’s

New research from the Kaplan Lab at Tufts University, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, suggests a link between head trauma and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. The study found that physical injury to the brain can reactivate dormant viruses, such as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), leading to inflammation and the formation of amyloid plaques and other markers of Alzheimer’s. This groundbreaking research, conducted using a 3D bioengineered human brain tissue model, opens the door for potential preventative treatments, such as antiviral drugs, following a head injury. To learn more, check out the articles below! Citations: Head Trauma May… Read More »The Connection Between Concussions, Viruses, and Alzheimer’s

Kaplan Lab Honored at Tufts’ Annual Inventor Recognition Event

The Kaplan Lab was well-represented at the recent FY2024 Tufts Annual Inventor Recognition Event, with David Kaplan and two of his research faculty, Vincent Fitzpatrick and Jugal Sahoo, receiving awards for their innovative work. David Kaplan was recognized for his work on an immortalized bovine cell line for cellular agriculture research. He also received awards alongside Vincent Fitzpatrick for biomedical device manufacturing and with Jugal Sahoo for a silk-based artificial mucin with therapeutic, cosmetic, and food applications. To learn more, check out the article below! Citation: Tufts Annual Inventor Recognition Event FY2024 (Vice Provost for Research News)

David Kaplan Named a Provost’s Catalyst Leader

David Kaplan has been selected as one of the inaugural Provost’s Catalyst Leaders, a new university-wide program designed to support faculty in generating novel scholarship and pathbreaking research. This initiative will provide Professor Kaplan with funding and other resources to expand his lab’s work and increase its impact. The program aims to strengthen Tufts’ competitiveness for large, multi-disciplinary funding opportunities and foster collaboration across the university. To learn more, check out the article below! Citation: Provost’s Catalyst Program Launches (Tufts Now)

Kaplan Lab Expertise Inspires Innovation in 3D Printing

Students in the “3D Printing the Human Body” course, taught by Kaplan Lab Research Faculty member Vincent Fitzpatrick, are developing groundbreaking solutions for medical challenges. Leveraging the lab’s expertise in biomaterials, students are creating everything from customized cartilage to resilient tendons, showcasing the power of 3D printing in healthcare. This hands-on course is shaping the next generation of biomedical engineers. To learn more, check out the article below! Citation: Cartilage, Tendons, and More—in the Palm of Your Hand (Tufts Now)

New Cells from Kaplan Lab Could Drastically Reduce Cultivated Meat Costs

A significant breakthrough from the Kaplan Lab promises to dramatically reduce the cost of cultivated meat, as detailed in a recent publication in Cell Reports Sustainability. The research, led by first author and former Kaplan Lab PhD student Dr. Andrew Stout, engineered bovine muscle cells to produce their own growth factors, eliminating the most expensive component of the cell culture media. Now the Director of Science at the Tufts Cellular Agriculture Commercialization Lab, Dr. Stout’s work represents a major step towards making cultivated meat an affordable and accessible food source. To learn more, check out the articles below! Citations: Cultivated… Read More »New Cells from Kaplan Lab Could Drastically Reduce Cultivated Meat Costs

Welcome, 2023 PhD cohort!

10 new PhD students recently joined the Kaplan Lab—we’re so happy to have you on the team! Welcome to: Alexis Walker, Tom Ryder, Stephen Schwartz, Lauren Kinsey, Laura Jones, Bomi Park, Christina Zhang, Catalina Quintero Quiroz, Evan Marcet, and Eli LaVancher.

A Taste of the Future: Kaplan Lab Students Visit Bay Area Food-Tech Innovators

PhD students from the Kaplan Lab recently had the unique opportunity to visit several cellular agriculture companies in the Bay Area. The trip provided a valuable, real-world perspective on the industry, allowing students to sample cultivated meat products and connect with scientists working to bring these innovative foods to market. This immersive experience, which bridged the gap between academic research and commercial application, offered a glimpse into the future of food and the exciting career paths available in the field. To learn more, check out the article below! Citation: A Taste of Life Beyond the Lab (Tufts Now)

Andrew Stout Featured on the Cover of Trends in Cell Biology

The Kaplan Lab is thrilled to celebrate 5th year PhD student Andrew Stout for his exceptional artistic and scientific contribution to the field of cellular agriculture. Andrew’s original artwork was selected for the cover of the January 2023 issue of Trends in Cell Biology. The vibrant illustration reimagines a traditional kitchen as a high-tech laboratory, complete with “Cas9” jars and “FGF-2” growth factor bottles, perfectly capturing the spirit of modern food innovation. The artwork serves as the visual gateway to the review article “Unlocking the potential of cultivated meat through cell line engineering”. In this work, Andrew and his colleagues… Read More »Andrew Stout Featured on the Cover of Trends in Cell Biology