"I was almost 30 when I found cellular agriculture and really decided that that's what I wanted to do. So there's no rush to get into any particular field.  Just try to be as open to different opportunities as you can be for as long as possible." - Matthew Anderson-Baron

Matthew is the founder and CSO of Future Fields, a cellular agriculture company in Edmonton working on building custom, cost-effective growth media. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry, and a PhD in cell biology from the University of Alberta. On this episode, we spoke to Matthew about the future of cellular agriculture, the translational skills you learn through doing a PhD, and what it's like to lead research and development at a startup. 

This episode was made possible by the generous support of the University Students' Council at Western University. 

Producer: Jay

Timestamps: 

(1:45); Educational background

(7:31); What undergrads should know when considering pursuing a PhD

(10:12); Translational skills Matt learned through his PhD

(12:54); Deciding to start Future Fields 

(15:51); Industry vs Academia 

(18:53); Defining cellular agriculture and what Future Fields does

(23:34); Common objections to cellular agriculture 

(26:23); The biggest learning curve that came with starting Future Fields 

(31:32); How research differs in an academic lab vs in industry

(36:53); Advice for students interested in cellular agriculture 

(40:52); Advice for undergrads in science