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The huge potential — and the overpromises — of lab-grown meat

Part 3 of TED Radio Hour episode What we'll eat on a warmer planet

Lab-grown meat promises a world where you can eat your favorite foods without harming animals. But, biotechnologist Isha Datar says you may not be able to replace the meat on your plate anytime soon.

About Isha Datar

Isha Datar is the executive director of New Harvest, a research institute for "cellular agriculture," or growing food from cells. She published one of the first papers to discuss lab-grown meat in academic literature, and has continued advocating for growing animal products — meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs — from cells instead.

In 2014, Datar also cofounded two of the world's first cellular agriculture companies: Perfect Day Foods (formerly Muufri) and The Every Company (formerly Clara Foods). She has served as Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow and as a Director’s Fellow at the MIT Media Lab.

Isha has a BSc. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Biotechnology from the University of Toronto.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Harsha Nahata and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour and James Delahoussaye. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Web Resources

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Copyright 2024 NPR

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Harsha Nahata
Harsha Nahata (she/her) is a producer for TED Radio Hour. She is drawn to storytelling as a way to explore ideas about identity and question dominant narratives.
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
James Delahoussaye
[Copyright 2024 NPR]