Stem Cell Engineering

Catalog description

This course will give an overview over milestones of stem cell research and will expose students to current topics at the frontier of this field. It will introduce students to the different types of stem cells as well as environmental factors and signals that are implicated in regulating stem cell fate. The course will highlight techniques for engineering of stem cells and their micro-environment. It will evaluate the use of stem cells for tissue engineering and therapies. Emphasis will be placed on discussions of current research areas and papers in this rapidly evolving field. Students will pick a class-related topic of interest, perform a thorough literature search, and present their findings as a written report as well as a paper review and a lecture. Lectures and discussions will be complemented by practical lab sessions, including: stem cell harvesting and culture, neural stem cell transfection, differentiation assays, and immunostaining, polymeric microcapsules as advanced culture systems, and stem cell integration in mouse brain tissue. The class is designed for graduate students and upper undergraduates with a strong interest in stem cell biology, and the desire to actively contribute to discussions in the class.