Tufts University, based in Boston, Massachusetts, US, has launched the “world’s first” undergraduate degree in cellular agriculture.

Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA) says that the degree in cellular agriculture has been designed to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to advance tissue engineering research and to translate cellular agriculture research into food industry innovation.

Students who register for the minor take six classes in the subject, including two core courses, a research project course, and three elective courses. Electives include offerings such as Food, Nutrition, and Culture; Food Systems: From Farm to Table; and Bringing Products to Market.

In addition, TUCCA introduced the ‘Alt Protein Project,’ a global initiative by the Good Food Institute to increase university engagement in the field of alt-protein sources.

David Kaplan, Stern Family Professor in the department of biomedical engineering and executive director of TUCCA said that the new minor is a vital step toward securing the future of cellular agriculture.

He commented: “Graduate students have had the opportunity to contribute to research and industry aims in cellular agriculture for a while now. But while we’ve offered classes to undergraduates and welcomed them into the lab, ours is now the first programme that allows them to graduate with an actual degree in the field.”

“Now we’ll have the chance to guide and collaborate with students who have an interest in cell ag from their earliest days at Tufts. Eventually, they’ll enter the field as professionals with a deep background and years of engagement in the subject.”

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