Stemcells@lunch Digested

In today’s episode, Prof Ana Pombo, group leader at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, is interviewed by PhD student Vasiliki Salameti. Ana talks about her pioneering work that enabled scientists to dissect how the genome is packaged inside cells and how this method is evolving with new single-cell technologies. She shares her view on future technology development which should help us make predictions. She discusses collaboration in science and the importance of timing in making research decisions. To learn more about Ana’s work check out the following link: https://www.mdc-berlin.de/pombo

On today’s episode, Dr Nicolas Rivron, group leader at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austrian Academy of Science, is interviewed by PhD student Sergi Junyent Espinosa. Nicolas discusses his research building stem-cell based embryo models. He talks about the self-organising nature of tissue development in the embryo and how this can help us understand key principles of regeneration. For more information on Nicolas’ work check out the following link: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/research/nicolas-rivron

On today’s episode, Dr Vivian Li, group leader of the Stem Cell and Cancer Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, is interviewed by PhD student Elena Drudi. Vivian talks about her background in plant biotechnology, colon cancer research and working in Hans Clevers lab and her current research focus using human gut organoids to ask how stem cells are maintained in healthy guts, what happens when it goes wrong, and the Wnt signalling pathway’s role in this. She also talks about the future of engineering parts of the bowel to replace damaged and missing bowel. For more information on Vivian’s work check out the following link: https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/vivian-li

In today’s episode, Dr Derk ten Berge, an Associate Professor in the department of Cell Biology at Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, is interviewed by PhD student Daria Belokhvostova. Derk discusses his research on embryonic development and pluritpotency (the ability of a stem cell to make all the cells of the embryo) and the mechanisms of how cells become pluripotent. He talks about an intermediate stage of embryonic development called rosette stem cells. He considers about how his lab is dealing with the impact of Covid.

Ana-Maria Cujba, a PhD student at the Centre for Stem Cell's and Regenerative Medicine at King's College London, is interviewed by PhD student Ella Hubber. Ana-Maria discusses her work using human induced pluripotent stem cells and pancreatic organoids to study a new mechanism in mature onset diabetes of the young (MODY). She dives into the development of pancreatic organoids and making a more physiologically relevant system. She also discusses publishing her work as a PhD student and transitioning from a PhD to a post-doc. To learn more about Ana-Maria's work, check out the following links: https://www.regenerativemedicinephd.co.uk/student-profiles/ana-maria-cujba https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3917-6751

Professor Muzlifah Haniffa, Professor of Dermatology and Immunology at Newcastle University, is interviewed by researcher Dr Clarisse Ganier. Muzz talks about her pioneering work in the fields of dermatology, immunology and genomics. She discusses her involvement in the human cell atlas, that aims to map all the cells of the human body. Muzz also speaks about the importance of public engagement in research science. To learn more about Muzz's work visit the following link: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/people/profile/mahaniffa.html

Prof Francesco Saverio Tedesco, Professor of Neuromuscular Biology and Regenerative Medicine at University College London, is interviewed by researcher Dr Davide Danovi. Francesco talks about his work using stem cells to understand and develop new therapies for muscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy. He speaks about the balance between his professions as a clinician and a scientist, and how this supports the translational goal of his research. To learn more about Francesco 's work visit the following link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences/people/saverio-tedesco P.S. check out our new logo, designed by PhD student Matt Chung!

Dr Madeline Lancaster, Group Leader at the Cell Biology Division of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, is interviewed by PhD student Ella Hubber. Madeline talks about the chance discovery and ongoing development of cerebral organoids and their use in studying human brain development and size differences between human and non-human apes. She also touches on the importance of engaging with the public as a scientist. To learn more about Madeline's work visit the following link: https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/groups/lancaster/

On today’s episode, Dr Jürgen Knoblich, scientific director at the Institute of Molecular Biology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, is interviewd by PhD student Sergi Junyen. Jürgen talks about his research journey to studying brains, the benefits of using fruit flies (Drosophila) in research, and the development and future of cerebral organoids, including their use in genetic screening. To find out more about Jürgen’s research follow this link: https://www.imba.oeaw.ac.at/research/juergen-knoblich/team/

Randolph Ashton, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison, is interviewed by PhD student Ieva Berzanskyte. Randolph discusses his research engineering novel materials and methodologies to direct stem cell behaviour in a reproducible and scalable manner. He talks about how harnessing the natural ability of cells to differentiate can be used to develop models and scaffolds for regenerative medicine. To find out more about Randolph’s work please visit the following website: https://directory.engr.wisc.edu/bme/Faculty/Ashton_Randolph/

Today Ron Weiss, Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering and in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Director of the Synthetic Biology Center at MIT, is interviewed by PhD student Matt Chung. Ron is a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology, using computer engineering principles to program cells to be controlled by analog and digital logic circuitry. He discusses how synthetic biology can be translated into clinical benefit for a wide range of diseases, including cancer. He talks about the challenges of building reliable networks that are robust to environmental change, a key challenge in the clinical translation of synthetic biology approaches. To find out more about Ron’s work please visit the following website: https://weiss-lab.mit.edu/

Today, Professor Manuel Serrano from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Barcelona is interviewed by PhD student Emily Read. Manuel has produced seminal work in the fields of tumour suppression, senescence, ageing and reprogramming. In this episode he talks about the link between senescence and regeneration, and how this can become disrupted in disease and ageing. He discusses how targeting senescent cells can prolong lifespan and reflects on the impactions of this on wider society. To find out more about Manuel’s work please visit the following website: https://www.irbbarcelona.org/en/profile/manuel-serrano

Today, Professor Matthias Lütolf, Head of the Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering at The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is interviewed by PhD student Emily Read. Matthais talks about how scientists can begin to build human diseases in a dish using organoid technologies. He discusses the importance of understanding how physical factors can influence stem cell behaviour and how this can be studied with engineering approaches. To find out more about Matthias’ work please visit the following website: https://people.epfl.ch/matthias.lutolf/bio?lang=en

Today, Professor Kevin Eggan from the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University, is interviewed by PhD student Peter Harley. Kevin talks about the difficulties of studying neurodegenerative disorders and applying stem cell technologies to study motor neuron disease/ALS. He discusses why highlighting and understanding contradictory findings is an essential part of scientific research and the reliability of using mouse models to study ALS. To find out more about Kevin’s work please visit the following website: https://hsci.harvard.edu/people/kevin-c-eggan-phd

Prof Salvador Aznar Benitah, ICREA Research Professor at Institut de Recerca Biomèdica, is interviewed by PhD student Victoria Tsang. Salvador talks about his research understanding the molecular pathways that dictate stem cell behaviour, including his recent work on the role of dietary fats, and how this goes wrong in cancer. He talks about recent advances in the field of oncology and the challenges they pose to clinical translation. For more information on Salvador's research follow this link: https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/salvador-aznar-benitah-408

Professor Alfonso Martinez Arias, professor of developmental mechanics in the department of genetics at the University of Cambridge, is interviewed by PhD student Alice Vickers. Alfonso discusses the applications, ethical considerations, legislation, and difficulties of progressing his research using embryonic stem cells as a model system for studying human development. He also looks back at the experiences and experiments that hooked him on answering the vital question of how a single cell becomes a whole organism. For more information on Alfonso's research follow this link: https://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/directory/alfonso-martinez-arias

Professor Xavier Trepat, ICREA Research Professor at Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya, is interviewed by PhD student Sebastiaan Zijl. Xavier talks about his work understanding how physical forces impact how cells grow, move and behave. He discusses the coolest experiment he has ever done and how lockdown has unexpectedly benefited his lab. For more information on Xavier's research follow this link: https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/xavier-trepat-534

Professor Peter Zandstra, Director of the Michael Smith Laboratories at The University of British Columbia, is interviewed by Group Leader Dr Davide Danovi. Peter talks about his work understanding blood development from stem cells and how this can be used improve therapeutics for diseases such as leukaemia. He discusses his beginnings as a chemical engineer and how this has shaped his career path. For more information on Peter's research follow this link: https://www.msl.ubc.ca/people/dr-peter-zandstra/

Dr William Grey, a post doctoral researcher in the Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, is interviewed by PhD student Jana Obajdin. William talks about using umbilical cord blood in the treatment of genetic disorders and the future of cancer therapies. He also tells us why the study of proteins is an exciting and expanding field, particularity in cancer research. For more information on William's research follow this link: https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/find-a-researcher/william-grey Donate your umbilical cord blood with Anthony Nolan: https://www.anthonynolan.org/8-ways-you-could-save-life/donate-your-umbilical-cord

Prof James Briscoe, group leader of the Developmental Dynamics Lab at the Francis Crick Institute, is interviewed by PhD student Ieva Berzanskyte. James talks about his research into the developing spinal cord and thinks about what is currently fascinating him, including understanding the "tempo" of embryonic development. For more information on James' research follow this link: https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/james-briscoe