UC Irvine advances stem cell research with $4 million CIRM grant for shared resources lab

Funding will enable upgraded equipment, new services and user training in 4 critical areas

2024-02-26

(Press-News.org) Irvine, Calif., Feb. 26, 2024 — The University of California, Irvine has received a five-year, $4 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to establish a shared resources lab in the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. The facility will offer essential technologies and training for the development of novel in vitro stem cell-based modeling that will serve researchers across the campus and the state.

“Stem cells possess the potential to transform into particular cell types, offering promising avenues for rejuvenating and restoring tissues harmed by injury or affected by disease,” said principal investigator Craig Walsh, UCI professor of molecular biology and biochemistry. “Utilizing stem cell modeling facilitates the development of new treatments and drug screening platforms and also provides deeper understanding of both discovery and translational research processes.”

The grant will expand the UCI stem cell center’s current lab capabilities, including the addition of new and upgraded equipment, instrumentation and components, and establish new services and user training in four key areas: foundational technologies, bioengineering and organoids, gene editing, and high-dimensional spatial analysis. Training is essential to characterize stem cell models, develop novel regenerative medicine therapeutics, and ensure that there’s a workforce capable of implementing new strategies.

“Our state-of-the-art facility and cutting-edge training opportunities demonstrate our commitment to advancing stem cell research and discovery, as well as to education and skill enhancement,” said Aileen Anderson, Ph.D., director of the UCI stem cell center and professor of physical medicine & rehabilitation at the UCI School of Medicine. “The impact of the lab’s initiatives will foster collaborations with academic and industrial partners throughout California and leverage existing training programs such as CIRM Bridges to accelerate innovation. This effort underscores the scientific community’s drive to transform the landscape of regenerative medicine.”

The Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center’s shared resources lab will contribute to the broader CIRM mission to develop a stem cell-based modeling ecosystem throughout California, supporting the basic and translational research necessary to advance scientific discoveries and the development of new therapeutic solutions for unmet medical needs, ranging from neurological diseases to cancer.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New discovery suggests significant glacial retreat in West Antarctica began in 1940s

2024-02-26

Among the vast expanse of Antarctica lies the Thwaites Glacier, the world’s widest glacier measuring about 80 miles on the western edge of the continent. Despite its size, the massive landform is losing about 50 billion tons of ice more than it is receiving in snowfall, which places it in a precarious position in respect to its stability. Accelerating ice loss has been observed since the 1970s, but it is unclear when this significant melting initiated – until now. A new study published in the journal PNAS, led by researchers ...

Butterflies mimic each other’s flight behaviour to avoid predators

2024-02-26

Researchers have shown that inedible species of butterfly that mimic each others’ colour patterns have also evolved similar flight behaviours to warn predators and avoid being eaten. It is well known that many inedible species of butterfly have evolved near identical colour patterns, which act as warning signals to predators so the butterflies avoid being eaten. Researchers have now shown that these butterflies have not only evolved similar colour patterns, but that they have also evolved similar ...

What math tells us about social dilemmas

$What math tells us about social dilemmas$

2024-02-26

Human coexistence depends on cooperation. Individuals have different motivations and reasons to collaborate, resulting in social dilemmas, such as the well-known prisoner's dilemma. Scientists from the Chatterjee group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) now present a new mathematical principle that helps to understand the cooperation of individuals with different characteristics. The results, published in PNAS, can be applied to economics or behavioral studies. A group of neighbors shares a driveway. Following a heavy snowstorm, the entire driveway is covered in snow, requiring clearance for daily activities. ...

Protecting fish doesn’t have to mean neglecting people, study concludes

2024-02-26

BEAUFORT, N.C. –With fish stocks declining globally, more than 190 countries recently made a commitment to protect about a third of the world’s oceans within “Marine Protected Areas,” or MPAs by the year 2030. But these designated areas of the ocean where fishing is either regulated or outright banned can come at a huge cost to some coastal communities, according to a new analysis. To help prepare for the expansion of MPAs, an international team of researchers from Duke University, Florida State ...

What will it take for China to reach carbon neutrality by 2060?

2024-02-26

To become carbon neutral by 2060, as mandated by President Xi Jinping, China will have to build eight to 10 times more wind and solar power installations than existed in 2022. Reaching carbon neutrality will also require major construction of transmission lines. China land use policies will also have to be more coordinated and focused on a nation-wide scale rather than be left to ad hoc decisions by local governments. That’s because 80% of solar power and 55% of wind power will have to be built within 100 miles of major population centers. These are the conclusions of a new study from ...

A new theoretical development clarifies water's electronic structure

2024-02-26

There is no doubt that water is significant. Without it, life would never have begun, let alone continue today – not to mention its role in the environment itself, with oceans covering over 70% of Earth. But despite its ubiquity, liquid water features some electronic intricacies that have long puzzled scientists in chemistry, physics, and technology. For example, the electron affinity, i.e. the energy stabilization undergone by a free electron when captured by water, has remained poorly characterized from an experimental ...

Live music emotionally moves us more than streamed music

2024-02-26

How does listening to live music affect the emotional center of our brain? A study carried out at the University of Zurich has found that live performances trigger a stronger emotional response than listening to music from a device. Concerts connect performers with their audience, which may also have to with evolutionary factors. Music can have a strong effect on our emotions. Studies have shown that listening to recorded music stimulates emotional and imaginative processes in our brain. But what happens when we listen to music in a live setting, for example at a music festival, at the opera or a folk concert? ...

Detroit research team to develop novel strategies to identify genetic contributions to cancer risk and overcome barriers to genetic testing for African Americans

2024-02-26

DETROIT – A team of researchers from Wayne State University and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has received a five-year, $9.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health for the study “Genetic Variation in Cancer Risk and Outcomes in African Americans.” This is a Program Project Grant that includes three large studies. The team will work to improve the identification and clinical management of hereditary and multiple primary cancers in African Americans, a population that is currently underrepresented in genetic research. According to Ann Schwartz, Ph.D., principal investigator of the project, professor and ...

Vaping can increase susceptibility to infection by SARS-CoV-2

2024-02-26

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Vapers are susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that spreads COVID-19 and continues to infect people around the world, a University of California, Riverside, study has found. The liquid used in electronic cigarettes, called e-liquid, typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and flavor chemicals. The researchers found propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin alone or along with nicotine enhanced COVID-19 infection through different mechanisms. Study results appear in the American Journal of Physiology. The researchers ...

Dissecting the roles for excitatory and inhibitory neurons in STXBP1 encephalopathy

2024-02-26

A recent study from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital has discovered inhibitory and excitatory neurons play distinct roles in the pathogenesis of STXBP1 encephalopathy, one of the top five causes of pediatric epilepsies and among the most frequent causes of neurodevelopmental disorders. This early-onset disorder is caused by spontaneous mutations in the syntaxin-binding protein 1 (STXBP1) gene. While STXBP1 gene variants impair both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, this study led by Dr. Mingshan Xue, associate professor at Baylor and principal investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

UK study shows there is less stigma against LGBTQ people than you might think, but people with mental health problems continue to experience higher levels of stigma