University of Santo Tomas Graduate School (GS) students organized a webinar symposium that explored developmental biology for food security in the Philippines on May 6, 2025. The event attracted around 100 participants, including students, researchers, and faculty members from various institutions.
Philippine Society for Developmental Biology (PSDB) Vice President Dr. Erika Marie Bascos opened the program where she underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling food security. This was followed by a presentation by graduate students Mr. Von Cyrelle Daliva and Ms. Sarah Jewel de Leon who underscored the significance of integrating developmental biology into food security efforts in the Philippines. In addition, they also reported on findings from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations regarding the status of food insecurity in the country and presented several innovative solutions developed by Filipino scientists to address this pressing issue.
The featured speaker, Dr. Lerrie Anne Ipulan-Colet from the University of the Philippines Diliman, provided an engaging lecture on how advancements in developmental biology can inform sustainable agricultural practices and innovations in food production. In her presentation titled, “Cellular Agriculture: From Culture Plates to Dinner Plates,” Dr. Ipulan-Colet emphasized the significance of cellular agriculture, a groundbreaking approach to food production that involves creating food products directly from cells. She underscored the emerging role of in-vitro meat—also known as lab-grown, cultured, synthetic, or artificial meat—as a key innovation in advancing sustainable and cell-based food systems.
The event concluded with a message from PSDB President and UST GS faculty member Asst. Prof. Dino Tordesillas, Ph.D., who encouraged attendees to pursue research that connects scientific knowledge with real-world applications in food sustainability.