Certificate in Cellular Agriculture

Cellular agriculture seeks to advance tissue engineering for the production of affordable, nutritious, protein-rich foods. Researchers and manufacturers translate cellular agriculture research into food industry innovation that has positive environmental and societal benefits.

The interdisciplinary program is administered by the Department of Biomedical Engineering with collaboration from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Program Highlights

With the field of cellular agriculture swiftly growing worldwide, our four-course certificate trains skilled workers to advance research and commercial products in fields as varied as food science, biotechnology, tissue engineering, synthetic biology, biomedical engineering, and more.

Students learn to translate cellular agriculture research on sustainable alternatives to products like meat, eggs, dairy, and leather into food industry innovation and commercially available products. Join a new generation of researchers with a foundational education in the methodologies, context, and implications of cellular agriculture technology.

Two core required courses:

• BME 173 Cellular Agriculture and Bio-fabricated Foods and
• BME 174 Sustainable Gastronomy: Cellular Agriculture and Biotechnology for Food

Two electives, chosen from the following options:

• ANTH 142 American Meat
• BME 184 Entrepreneurship and Strategy
• CHBE 166 Cell and Microbe Cultivation
• ENT 107 Entrepreneurial Leadership
• ENV 190 Practicing in Food Systems
• IDGH 548 Microbial Molecular Biology
• NUTC 262 Sustainable Food Systems and Markets
• NUTR 238 Economic Food and Nutrition Policy
• NUTR 246 Macronutrients
• NUTR 248 Precision Nutrition
• NUTR 280 Nutrition and Entrepreneurship
• NUTR 285 Food Justice
• NUTR 331 Environmental Life Cycle Assessment
• ME 125 Mechanics of Materials at the Micro & Nano Scale
• UEP 267 Sustainability Metrics

This interdisciplinary certificate is administered by the Department of Biomedical Engineering with collaboration from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Career Outcomes

Cellular agriculture‚ the cultivation of agricultural commodities from cells rather than whole organisms‚ presents new solutions to the demand for the consumption of meat and other animal products. Established companies and start-ups across the globe currently face a shortage of skilled workers as they aim to commercialize cell-based meats, protein-based products, and novel materials, producing environmentally friendly alternatives to products such as dairy, eggs, leather, and fur.

Among the first offerings of its kind in the U.S., Tufts' Certificate in Cellular Agriculture program trains students to excel in this emerging cross-disciplinary field. In classes taught by world-class faculty from Tufts School of Engineering, students learn the basic science that underlies products like cultured/in vitro meat. A Tufts education in cellular agriculture prepares students to contribute to worldwide improvements in food sustainability, food security, and personalized nutrition.