Cytocentric-Blog
Cytocentric Visionaries: Jan Jensen, Trailhead BioSystems
Part Two: Controlling Stray Cell Fates in Culture
In Part One, we discussed Trailhead’s unbiased system of cell signaling optimization for differentiation. Here we continue our conversation with Dr. Jan Jensen. CSO of Trailhead BioSystems in Cleveland, OH. Today we talk about cell fate and reprogramming.
Cytocentric Visionaries: Jan Jensen, Trailhead BioSystems
Part One: Unbiased Cell Science: Don’t Try to Out-Think Nature
Dr. Jan Jensen is the E. J. Brandon Endowed Professor in Diabetes Research at the Cleveland Clinic and also CSO of Trailhead BioSystems. Trailhead uses a unique combination of advanced technologies to define optimized combinations of growth factors that will efficiently guide cell differentiation from the embryonic state through specific cell lineage pathways.
Combining a Design of Experiments approach with robotics, mathematical modeling, high throughput gene analysis, and Cytocentric Isolators, Trailhead optimizes cell media 12 factors at a time to achieve step-by-step cell type conversion rates of well over 90%.
Here, Alicia talks with Dr. Jensen about how they had to let go of the past to progress.
Production of Retinal Progenitor Cells under Full-Time Optimized cGMP Conditions in the Barrier Isolator
A recent paper in Nature’s Scientific Reports from the Budd Tucker’s lab at University of Iowa reported producing xeno-free clinical-grade retinal progenitor cells from iPSC in a barrier isolator with cGMP reagents and conditions. [1] This is very exciting news for the iPSC field. Continue reading to learn about this research involving production of retinal progenitor cells in optimized cGMP conditions.
Cytocentric Visionaries: Dr. Jim Uniacke, University of Guelph
Cells are Vastly Different Under Physiologic Oxygen than in Room Air
James Uniacke, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Guelph where his lab studies protein translation machinery.
Here, Alicia talks with Jim about his group’s recent publication in JBC, “Human Cells Cultured under Physiological Oxygen Utilize Two Cap-binding Proteins to Recruit Distinct mRNAs for Translation.” [1] This interview was edited for length.
Are We Doing Enough to Protect Our People in the Lab?
Even with proper procedures, lab workers are still at risk for becoming infected. Discover some ways to reduce laboratory-acquired infections below.
Mysterious Illnesses
Two documented cases of laboratory-acquired infections (LAI) have made it into the popular media this year alone, one in Europe and one at the CDC. In both of these cases, workers doing routine work with standard procedures somehow became infected with biological materials they handled and nobody knows how.
We would all like to think that LAI are quite rare, but they still happen, so the risk is still there for all laboratory workers, both in the clinical and the research setting.
Read more: Are We Doing Enough to Protect Our People in the Lab
