Category Archives: Utah Stem Cells

Regulations and policies change frequently to keep up with the pace of research, as well as to reflect the views of different political parties. Here President Obama signs an executive order on stem cells, reversing some limits on federal research funding. (White House photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Governments around the globe have passed legislation to regulate stem cell research. In the United States, laws prohibit the creation of embryos for research purposes. Scientists instead receive "leftover" embryos from fertility clinics with consent from donors. Most people agree that these guidelines are appropriate.

Disagreements surface, however, when political parties debate about how to fund stem cell research. The federal government allocates billions of dollars each year to biomedical research. But should taxpayer dollars be used to fund embryo and stem cell research when some believe it to be unethical? Legislators have had the unique challenge of encouraging advances in science and medicine while preserving a respect for life.

U.S. President Bush, for example, limited federal funding to a study of 70 or so hES cell lines back in 2001. While this did slow the destruction of human embryos, many believe the restrictions set back the progress of stem cell research.

President Obama overturned Bush's stem cell policy in 2009 to expand the number of stem cell lines available to researchers. Policy-makers are now grappling with a new question: Should the laws that govern other types of pluripotent stem cells differ from those for hES cells? If so, what new legislation is needed?

More:
The Stem Cell Debate: Is it Over? - University of Utah

Leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells, or leukocytes. Like other blood cells,leukocytes develop from somatic stem cells. Mature leukocytes are released into thebloodstream, where they work to fight off infections in our bodies.

Leukemia results when leukocytes begin to grow and function abnormally, becomingcancerous. These abnormal cells cannot fight off infection, and they interfere withthe functions of other organs.

Successful treatment for leukemia depends on getting rid of all the abnormal leukocytesin the patient, allowing healthy ones to grow in their place. One way to do this is throughchemotherapy, which uses potent drugs to target and kill the abnormal cells. Whenchemotherapy alone can't eliminate them all, physicians sometimes turn to bone marrow transplants.

In a bone marrow transplant, the patient's bone marrow stem cells are replaced with thosefrom a healthy, matching donor. To do this, all of the patient's existing bone marrow andabnormal leukocytes are first killed using a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Next,a sample of donor bone marrow containing healthy stem cells is introduced into the patient's bloodstream.

If the transplant is successful, the stem cells will migrate into the patient's bone marrowand begin producing new, healthy leukocytes to replace the abnormal cells.

New evidence suggests that bone marrow stem cells may be able to differentiate into celltypes that make up tissues outside of the blood, such as liver and muscle. Scientists areexploring new uses for these stem cells that go beyond diseases of the blood.

Original post:
Stem Cells in Use - University of Utah

Bhler, K. M., Gin, E., EcheverryAlzate, V., CallejaConde, J., de Fonseca, F. R., & LpezMoreno, J. A. (2015). Common single nucleotide variants underlying drug addiction: more than a decade of research. Addiction Biology, 20(5), 845-871.

Crist, R. C., Reiner, B. C., & Berrettini, W. H. (2018). A review of opioid addiction genetics. Current Opinion in Psychology. 27, 31-35.

Hay, C. E., Gonzalez III, G. A., Ewing, L. E., Reichard, E. E., Hambuchen, M. D., Nanaware-Kharade, N., & Peterson, E. C. (2018). Development and testing of AAV-delivered single-chain variable fragments for the treatment of methamphetamine abuse. PloS One, 13(6), e0200060.

Li, Y., Kong, Q., Yue, J., Gou, X., Xu, M., & Wu, X. (2019). Genome-edited skin epidermal stem cells protect mice from cocaine-seeking behaviour and cocaine overdose. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 3(2), 105.

Partonen, T. (2015). Clock genes in human alcohol abuse and comorbid conditions. Alcohol, 49(4), 359-365.

Shirley, R. L., Walter, N. A., Reilly, M. T., Fehr, C., & Buck, K. J. (2004). Mpdz is a quantitative trait gene for drug withdrawal seizures. Nature Neuroscience, 7(7), 699.

Yang, H. J., Zhang, H. Y., Bi, G. H., He, Y., Gao, J. T., & Xi, Z. X. (2017). Deletion of type 2 metabotropic glutamate receptor decreases sensitivity to cocaine reward in rats. Cell Reports, 20(2), 319-332.

Yao, W. D., Gainetdinov, R. R., Arbuckle, M. I., Sotnikova, T. D., Cyr, M., Beaulieu, J. M., & Caron, M. G. (2004). Identification of PSD-95 as a regulator of dopamine-mediated synaptic and behavioral plasticity. Neuron, 41(4), 625-638.

Go here to read the rest:
Genes and Addiction - University of Utah

Sheep

Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell

In this landmark experiment, Wilmut and Campbell created a lamb by transferring the nucleus from an adult sheep's udder cell into an enucleated egg. Never before had a mammal been cloned from an adult somatic cell. What was the big deal?

Every cells nucleus contains a complete set of genetic information. However, while embryonic cells are ready to activate any gene, differentiated adult cells have shut down the genes that they don't need for their specific functions. When an adult cell nucleus is used as a donor, its genetic information must be reset to an embryonic state. Often the resetting process is incomplete, and the embryos fail to develop.

Of 277 attempts, only one produced an embryo that was carried to term in a surrogate mother. This famous lamb, named Dolly, brought cloning into the limelight. Her arrival started conversations about the implications of cloning, bringing controversies over human cloning and stem cell research into the public eye.

Continued here:
The History of Cloning - University of Utah

Media Contacts Julie Kiefer

Associate Director, Science Communications, University of Utah HealthEmail: julie.kiefer@hsc.utah.eduPhone: 801-587-1293

Oct 06, 2022 9:00 AM

Whatever you do, dont call them mini-brains, say University of Utah Health scientists. Regardless, the seed-sized organoidswhich are grown in the lab from human cellsprovide insights into the brain and uncover differences that may contribute to autism in some people.

We used to think it would be too difficult to model the organization of cells in the brain, says Alex Shcheglovitov, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology at U of U Health. But these organoids self-organize. Within a few months, we see layers of cells that are reminiscent of the cerebral cortex in the human brain.

The research describing the organoids and their potential for understanding neural diseases publishes in Nature Communications on Oct 6 with Shcheglovitov as senior author and Yueqi Wang, PhD, a former graduate student in his lab, as lead author. They carried out the research with postdoctoral scientist Simone Chiola, PhD, and other collaborators at the University of Utah, Harvard University, University of Milan, and Montana State University.

These organoids self-organize. Within a few months, we see layers of cells that are reminiscent of the cerebral cortex in the human brain.

Investigating autism

Having the ability to model aspects of the brain in this way gives scientists a glimpse into the inner workings of a living organ that is otherwise nearly impossible to access. And since the organoids grow in a dish, they can be tested experimentally in ways that a brain cannot.

Shcheglovitovs team used this approach to investigate effects of a genetic abnormality associated with autism spectrum disorder and human brain development. They found that organoids engineered to have lower levels of the gene, called SHANK3, had distinct features.

Even though the autism organoid model appeared normal, some cells did not function properly:

These findings are helping to uncover the cellular and molecular causes of symptoms associated with autism, the authors say. They also demonstrate that the lab-grown organoids will be valuable for gaining a better understanding of the brain, how it develops, and what goes wrong during disease.

A key application is to use the brain organoids, derived from the genetic material of each individual patient, to test drugs or other interventions to treat disorders in a personalized manner, says Jan Kubanek, PhD, a co-author on the study and an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the U. This would truly realize the potential of personalized medicine.

Building a better brain model

Scientists have long searched for suitable models for the human brain. Lab-grown organoids are not new, but previous versions did not develop in a reproduceable way, making experiments difficult to interpret.

To create an improved model, Shcheglovitovs team took cues from how the brain develops normally. The researchers prompted human stem cells to become neuroepithelial cells, a specific stem cell type that forms self-organized structures, called neural rosettes, in a dish. Over the course of months, these structures coalesced into spheres and increased in size and complexity at a rate similar to the developing brain in a growing fetus.

After five months in the lab, the organoids were reminiscent of one wrinkle of a human brain at 15 to 19 weeks post-conception, Shcheglovitov says. The structures contained an array of neural and other cell types found in the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain involved in language, emotion, reasoning, and other high-level mental processes.

Like a human embryo, organoids self-organized in a predictable fashion, forming neural networks that pulsated with oscillatory electrical rhythms and generated diverse electrical signals characteristic of a variety of different kinds of mature brain cells.

These organoids had patterns of electrophysiological activity that resembled electrophysiological rhythms of the brain. I didnt expect that, Kubanek says. This new approach models functional brain networks of the human nervous tissue.

Shcheglovitov explains that these organoids, which more reliably reflect intricate structures in the cortex, will allow scientists to study how specific types of cells in the brain arise and work together to perform more complex functions.

Were beginning to understand how complex neural structures in the human brain arise from simple progenitors, Wang says. And were able to measure disease-related phenotypes using 3D organoids that are derived from stem cells containing geneticmutations.

He adds that using the organoids, researchers will be able to better investigate what happens at the earliest stages of neurological conditions, before symptoms develop.

# # #

Visit UBrain browser to visualize the cells and electrical responses detected in organoids.

The research published as Modeling human telencephalic development and autism-associated SHANK3 deficiency using organoids generated from single neural rosettes.

Support for the work came from the National Institutes of Health, Brain Research Foundation, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, Whitehall Foundation, University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative, and University of Utah Genome Project Initiative.

Research News Neuroscience

Follow this link:
Brain-Like Organoids Grown in a Dish Provide Window into Autism - University of Utah Health Care

01- Introduction to the Human Brain(14 minutes) The regions and lobes of the brain are identified along with some of the nerves and vessels. The basic functions of the cortex of each lobe are introduced along with principal sulci and gyri. The importance of the left hemisphere for language and the temporal lobe in memory are mentioned along with the concept of cortical localization. A classical frontal section is used to demonstrate gray and white matter along with the primary internal structures.

02 - The Normal Unfixed Brain(6 minutes) The consistency and vulnerability of the brain is demonstrated along with the clear and glistening pia and arachnoid and the tough dura. The cushioning function of the CSF is stressed and the features are pointed out on the ventral surface. The uncus and temporal lobes are normal with arteries free of atherosclerosis.

03 - Orientation: The Planes of the Brain(8 minutes) Terms such as anterior, posterior, inferior and superior are introduced with respect to the hemispheres as well as the brain stem. Terms such as rostral and caudal or dorsal and ventral can mean different things in different areas. Sections in three planes (frontal, axial, and sagittal) are demonstrated on gross specimens along with key features including the ventricular system.

04 - The Meninges(15 minutes) The epidural, subdural and subarachnoid spaces are demonstrated and discussed with respect to trauma and disease. The relationship of the brainstem and cerebellum to the tentorium demonstrates the vulnerability of the brain stem to increased supratentorial pressure and herniation. Arachnoid granulations and the sagittal sinus are shown. A subdural hematoma specimen as well as sections from a ruptured aneurysm complete the demonstration.

05 - The Ventricles(27 minutes)The ventricles are demonstrated and named on a model cast as well as in rotating 3D reconstructions. The production, function, circulation and removal of CSF produced by the choroid plexus is discussed using a diagram and then reviewed on frontal, axial and sagittal brain specimens and corresponding MRIs. The blood CSF and brain barriers are mentioned along with the cisterns.

06 - The Spinal Cord & Monosynaptic Reflex (17 minutes)The spinal cord's relationship to the foramina, discs and spinal nerves is demonstrated on a model. The dura, ganglia and rootlets are shown as well as the gray and white matter in gross sections at different levels. A model of the cord is used to demonstrate and describe the anatomy of a monosynaptic reflex and the concept of a dermatome. Finally, a myelin stained cord section is described and related to the gross demonstration.

07 - The Unfixed Spinal Cord(7 minutes)The delicate and soft cord partially covered with dura is seen with the anterior and posterior spinal arteries and a description of the structures they supply. The dural sac is opened showing the dorsal and ventral roots in the cauda equina.

08 - Cranial Nerves (12 minutes)The approach is to learn to associate the cranial nerves with their brainstem level and blood supply. Emphasis is given to the midbrain (3, 4), pons (5, 6, 7, 8), medulla (9, 10, 11, 12) and their most important functions.

09 - Brain Stem & Reflexes(25 minutes)The cranial nerves are reviewed again on a specimen with vessels. Next, landmarks on gross brain stem sections are shown. Stressed are the three reflexes associated with each of the three levels: pupillary, corneal and gag reflexes and their associated cranial nerves. Finally cross sections of myelin stained brain stem sections at classic levels are related to the gross cross sections.

10 - Cerebral Circulation(16 minutes)The major vessels of the anterior and posterior circulation are demonstrated along with the Circle of Willis on both a model and in an animation. The distribution of the three major cerebral arteries is demonstrated along with the concept of a watershed zone. A gross specimen with good vessels is also reviewed along with a quick review of primary cortical function.

11 - Cortical Localization(13 minutes)The lobes of the brain are defined together with their major functions. The visual field representation in the occipital lobe is explained with a diagram. Speech areas and the major types of aphasia are discussed in the dominant hemisphere and parietal lesions of neglect and spatial orientation are also mentioned. A frontal or coronal section is also outlined demonstrating the somatotopic representation of the body in sensory and motor cortex.

12 - Three Critical Vertical Pathways(9 minutes)There is one motor and two sensory pathways that must be mastered. Pain and temperature from the body travel together and vibration and proprioception travel in another pathway each reaching perception in the cortex. Voluntary motor control starts in the cerebral cortex and connects with a motor neuron in the spinal cord or brain stem. Each of these pathways has a different crossing point which is important. With these 3 pathways and your 12 cranial nerves you can localize many diseases.

13 - Sensation from the Body(22 minutes)Sensation consists of various modalities, which tend to travel in one of two pathways. The Anterolateral System also known as the Spinothalamic Tract carries pain and temperature. The Dorsal Column-Medical Lemniscus Pathway carries vibration, joint position, and fine 2-point discrimination. Light or crude touch travel in both pathways. The video demonstrates both grossly and with diagrams the difference in the two pathways as they travel to the cortex emphasizing where they cross to the opposite side. Somatotopic cortical representation and blood supply are introduced.

14 - Sensation from the Face(14 minutes)Sensation from the face travels in one of two pathways both of which eventually converge to form the trigeminothalamic tract that reaches the thalamus. The tract that carries pain and temperature is confusing because it first descends before crossing while the equivalent of Dorsal Column-Medical Lemniscus Pathway carrying vibration, joint position, and fine 2-point discrimination synapses and crosses immediately. The video demonstrates both pathways grossly and with diagrams to its cortical termination.

15 - The Most Important Pathway: Motor Control(7 minutes)The origin of the corticospinal tract in the cerebral cortex is traced through gross sections of the hemisphere and brain stem to the spinal cord. Using an animation, the terms upper and lower motor neuron are defined and clinical signs and symptom listed.

16 - The Visual Pathway(27 minutes)A brief review of the anatomy of the eye and the photic stimulation of the receptors is followed by a gross exploration of the visual pathway from the optic nerve, chiasm, and tract to the thalamus stressing how the left part of the visual world reaches the right hemisphere. Visual fields are related the retinotopic organization of the visual cortex. The eye as a window to the brain and its important vascular supply is also discussed.

17 - Control of the Pupil(15 minutes)Through diagrams, animations and gross specimens the constriction and dilation of the pupil by the autonomic nervous system are described. Both the parasympathetic and sympathetic control are traced and the importance of a constricted pupil, Horners Syndrome, and temporal lobe (uncal) herniation (dilation) are emphasized.

18 - Control of the Eye Movements(18 minutes)Disturbances in eye movements can provide important clues for localization of neurological damage. The role of the frontal eye fields in horizontal gaze is stressed. The need to coordinate cranial nerves on both sides of the brain stem introduces the medial longitudinal fasciculus and its role in coordinating CN 3 and 6. Interruption of this pathway results in internuclear ophthalmoplegia and nystagmus both of which are demonstrated with a clinical video.

19 - The Vestibular System(32 minutes)Diagrams, models and skull preparations are used to describe the vestibular apparatus. The semicircular canals, saccule and utricle are described as well as transduction by the hair cells in the ampullae and maculae. Gross material emphasizes the nerve, vestibular nuclei and connections through the MLF to the abducens and oculomotor nuclei in the brain stem for coordinating eye and head movements with body position. Nystagmus, INO, the vestibulocular reflex, and caloric testing are explained. Connections above the midbrain are not discussed.

20 - The Auditory System(31 minutes)The anatomy of the middle ear and cochlea are shown using models and diagrams explaining the process of air-fluid transmission and finally transduction by hair cells. Gross specimens demonstrate the cochlear nerve and its brain stem relays and crossings all the way to auditory cortex. Wernicke's area and language comprehension and lateralization are briefly discussed. The Weber and Rinne tests are demonstrated along with radiographs showing normal anatomy and a tumor in the cerebellopontine angle.

View original post here:
Brain Dissections: Neuroanatomy Video Lab - University of Utah

Florian Solzbacher, co-founder and chairman of Blackrock Neurotech, which manufactures the Utah arrays, says the company is testing one thats coated with a combination of parylene and silicon carbide, which has been around for more than 100 years as an industrial material. Weve seen lifetimes on the benchtop that can reach up to 30 years, and weve got some preliminary data in animals right now, he says. But the company has yet to implant it in people, so the real test will be how human tissue reacts to the new formulation.

Making electrodes more flexible could also help reduce scarring. Angles company Paradromics is developing an implant similar to the Utah array, but with thinner electrodes intended to be less disruptive to tissue.

Some researchers are trying out softer materials that may be able to better integrate into the brain than the rigid Utah array. One group, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is experimenting with hydrogel coatings designed to have an elasticity very similar to that of the brain. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania are also growing living electrodes, hairlike microtissues made of neurons and nerve fibers grown from stem cells.

But these approaches have downsides, too. You can get a rigid thing into a soft thing. But if youre trying to put a very soft thing into another soft thing, thats very hard, Gaunt says.

Another approach is to make the implants smaller, and therefore less invasive. For instance, researchers are testing neurograins, tiny chips the size of a grain of sand that could hypothetically be sprinkled across the cortical surface. But no one has tried dispersing them on a human brain; the system has only been tested in rodents that had their skulls removed.

Some research participants have had their Utah arrays taken out and replaced, but multiple surgeries arent ideal, because each one carries a risk of infection or bleeding at the implant site. Gaunt says surgeons probably wouldnt place a new implant in the exact same place as an old one, especially if theres scarring in that area. But making sure that a replacement is put in the right spot is important because implants in the wrong place could impair the function of the BCI.

Gaunt says it would be better for the external BCI componentsthe processors or software, for instanceto be upgradable, so that patients wouldnt have to undergo multiple surgeries.

Nathan Copeland plays a game using his brain-computer interface.

But in fact, an external part of most BCI systems is actually one of the biggest risks for brain implants. The pedestal that sits atop the skull can cause infection, but its presence is necessary to connect the implanted array to the external computer. For now, Copeland and other research participants have to get plugged into the system via their head pedestals to use their BCIs. (Researchers are working on getting rid of the cables.) For Copeland, its a mild annoyance in exchange for getting to do the things he can do with his BCIalthough he hopes future systems will be wireless and give paralyzed people an even broader range of abilities.

Given the unknowns of BCI longevity, Copeland knows his implant could stop working some day. But he tries not to worry about it. Im super chill about most things. I just go with the flow, he says. That said, he wouldnt turn down an upgrade: In five or 10 years, if there is something that would have significant improvements, I would do the surgery again and just go for it.

Originally posted here:
This Man Set the Record for Wearing a Brain-Computer Interface - WIRED

Every week, we update this list with new meetings, awards, scholarships and events to help you advance your career.If youd like us to feature something that youre offering to the bioscience community, email us with the subject line For calendar. ASBMB members offerings take priority, and we do not promote products/services. Learn how to advertise in ASBMB Today.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology has launched the Career Advancement and Research Excellence Support (CARES) Program, which provides financial support for caregiving, enabling FASEB society members to continue their scientific training, professional development and career progression. Read the eligibility criteriaand apply.

The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is offering $2,000 to graduate students and postdocs displaced from their labs as a result of natural disaster, war or "other events beyond their control that interrupt their training." The money is for travel and settling in. Learn more and spread the word to those who could use assistance.

The American Association for Anatomy has a free on-demand webinar titled "The power of suggestion: How to get and gain influence." It features Adele Cehrs, CEO of the When and How Agency, who explains "when the power of suggestion is most likely to work for individuals and how to use it to your advantage through traditional media and social media channels." As we understand it, AAA membership is not required (but you will have to create an account)to view the webinar. Here's a list of all of AAA's open-access webinars.

It's not too early to start thinking about who among your colleagues deserves recognition as an ASBMB fellow. Fellows are recognized for their contributions to the society and their contributions advancing the molecular life sciences, whether that's through research, education and mentorship, or other forms of service to the scientific community. Learn more.

This in-person meeting will be held Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 in Snowbird, Utah. Sessionswill cover recent advances and new technologies in RNA polymerase II regulation, including the contributions of noncoding RNAs, enhancers and promoters, chromatin structure and post-translational modifications, molecular condensates, and other factors that regulate gene expression. Patrick Cramer of the Max Planck Institute will present the keynote address on the structure and function of transcription regulatory complexes.Learn more.

Researchers at Albion College are conducting a survey about women's experiences with STEM mentors during their undergraduate years. If you'd like to participate, access the surveyhere. Itshould take about 15 minutes to complete. The deadline is Aug. 31.

To be or not to be a postdoc?That is often the question that comes to mind toward the end of graduate school. When thinking about your career path, is a stint as a postdoc the next logical step, or are there other ways to get to your ultimate career destination? In this webinar, part ofthe ASBMB Education and Professional Development Committees Insider perspectives series, established scientists will share their journeys from the end of graduate school to the next stages of their careers, exploretheir decision-making about whether and when to pursue a postdoctoral position, and how they leveraged post-Ph.D. training to enhance their careers. Register.

ASBMB Lipid Research Division Seminar Series

The ASBMB Lipid Research Division features the work of young investigators at noon Eastern on Wednesdays. If you are interested in presenting, please contactJohn Burke. Registeronce to access the whole series.

Aug. 31: New mechanisms of phosphoinositide signaling

Most meetings on epigenetics and chromatin focus on transcription, while most meetings on genome integrity include little attention to epigenetics and chromatin. This conference in Seattle will bridge this gap to link researchers who are interested in epigenetic regulations and chromatin with those who are interested in genome integrity. The keynote speakers are Genevive Almouzni at Institut Curie and John Diffley at the Francis Crick Institute. Learn more.

The ASBMB encourages its members to get involved through service on society committees. Committee members serve three-year terms, which are renewable once, typically from July 1 to June 30. The society strives for equity and inclusion, as well as institutional, geographic and career stage diversity on all of its committees.See eligibility criteria and applyThe followingcommittees have one or more openings and welcome all member types to apply:

The American Physiological Society is hosting a free webinar that will cover polycystic ovary syndrome, an endocrine disorder associated with modestly elevated androgens, and hormone therapy for transmen, which elevates androgens greatly to achieve levels similar to those in cisgender men. The event announcement says: "The role that these two different concentrations play in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology remains unclear. Gaps and opportunities in basic research and clinical practice will be highlighted." The speaker will be Licy Yanes Cardozo, a physician-scientist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Learn more and register.

The American Society for Investigative Pathology is running a series of young investigator keynote talks through the end of the year. Here's the lineup. Register.

Sept. 21: Selection for a Preferred Threshold Level of PI3K Pathway Activation During Myc-driven Mammary Carcinogenesis Maryknoll Palisoc, Penn State College of Medicine

Oct. 19: Investigating Calcium Dysregulation and Viral Virulence Using Forward and Reverse Genetics Thomas Gebert, Baylor College of Medicine

Nov. 16: Modeling Glut1 Deficiency Syndrome at the Human Blood-Brain Barrier In Vitro Using CRISPR-Cas9 Edited Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Iqra Pervaiz, Texas Tech University of Health Sciences

Dec. 14: Mechanisms of IL-6-driven Endothelial Dysfunction Ramon Bossardi Ramos, Albany Medical College

In May, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute launched a roughly $1.5 billion program to "help build a scientific workforce that more fully reflects our increasingly diverse country." The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program will fund 30 scholars every other year, and each appointment can last up to 10 years. That represents up to $8.6 million in total support per scholar. HHMI is accepting applications from researchers "who are strongly committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in science." Learn more.

The National Academy of Sciences offers more than a dozen annual awards, and the nomination deadline for all of them is Oct. 3. You can see the full list here, but we want to draw your attention to the NAS Award in Molecular Biology (for a young investigator).

Undergraduate students interested in interning at a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory in the spring must apply by Oct. 5. There are two programs to be aware of: the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program and the Community College Internships program. In both cases, students work at national laboratories on research or technology projects supporting the agency's mission. All full-time students or recent grads are eligible for the first program, and community college students are eligible for the other. These are paid positions. Learn more.

The U.S. Department of Energy has expanded its opportunities for faculty members from historically underrepresented groupsto engage in research at national labs. The Visiting Faculty Program is intended to create partnerships between national labs and two-year colleges, minority-serving institutions and other colleges and universities nationwide. About 50% of participants are from MSI, and one-third of those are from historically Black colleges and universities. The deadline to apply is Oct. 5. Learn more.

The NASA Science Mission Directorate Bridge Program is intended to improve diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility at NASA and in the broader STEM community. The agency seeks to partner with minority-serving institutions, primarily undergraduate institutions and Ph.D.-granting universities and provide paid research student positions "to transition science and engineering students from undergraduate studies into graduate schools and employment by NASA," according to the announcement. A virtual workshop will be held from Oct. 17 through Oct. 21. You have to formally express interest in attending. Learn more.

Save the date for the ASBMB Career Expo. This virtual event aims to highlight the diversity of career choices available to modern biomedical researchers. No matter your career stage, this expo will provide a plethora of career options for you to explore while simultaneously connecting you with knowledgeable professionals in these careers. Each 60-minute session will focus on a different career path and will feature breakout rooms with professionals in those paths. Attendees can choose to meet in a small group with a single professional for the entire session or move freely between breakout rooms to sample advice from multiple professionals. Sessions will feature the following five sectors: industry, government, science communication, science policy and other. The expo will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 2. Stay tuned for a link to register!

The Journal of Science Policy & Governanceand the National Science Policy Network issued a call for papersfor an issue containingpolicy ideas from the next generation of scientists. The submission deadline is Nov. 6. Theyencourage submissions "that highlight policy opportunities and audiences related to the 2022 U.S. midterm elections at the local, stateor national level as well as related foreign policy issues."Read the press release.

The ASBMB provides members with a virtual platform to share scientific research and accomplishments and to discuss emerging topics and technologies with the BMB community.

The ASBMB will manage the technical aspects, market the event to tens of thousands of contacts and present the digital event live to a remote audience. Additional tools such as polling, Q&A, breakout rooms and post event Twitter chats may be used to facilitate maximum engagement.

Seminars are typically one to two hours long. A workshop or conference might be longer and even span several days.

Prospective organizers may submit proposals at any time. Decisions are usually made within four to six weeks.

Propose an event.

If you are a graduate student, postdoc or early-career investigator interested in hosting a #LipidTakeover, fill out this application. You can spend a day tweeting from the Journal of Lipid Research's account (@JLipidRes) about your favorite lipids and your work.

The ASBMB Deuel conference is a must-attend event for leading lipids investigators and for scientists whove just begun to explore the role of lipids in their research programs. This event will bring together a diverse array of people, including those who have not attended Deuel or perhaps any lipid meeting before. The conference is a forum for the presentation of new and unpublished data, and attendees enjoy the informal atmosphere that encourages free and open discussion. Interested scientists are invited to attend and encourage trainees to submit abstracts. Learn more.

#DiscoverBMB is the annual meeting of theAmerican Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

With a mission to sharethe latest, most impactful research findings in the molecular life sciences, #DiscoverBMB offers an exciting agenda that includes in-person and virtual sessions, talks by the field's foremost experts, interactive workshops on the latest trends, technologies and techniques, and an invigorating exhibition of posters, services and products.

The meeting attracts researchers in academia and industry, educators, trainees and students from across the globe. It offers unparalleled opportunities for collaborating, networking and recruiting.

Learn more.

Link:
Calendar of events, awards and opportunities - ASBMB Today

Florida-based nutraceutical company looks to increase customer engagement and drive salesconversion rates by deploying VERBs powerful interactive video-based sales tools

MIRAMAR, FL, and NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stemtech Corporation (Stemtech) (OTCQB: STEK), an innovative nutraceutical company and a pioneer in the field of stem cell nutrition, today announced that Stemtech has adopted a suite of sales enablement software solutions, developed by Verb Technology Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERB), including verbCRM, VERBs white-labelled interactive video-based customer relationship management application, and verbLIVE, VERBs interactive livestream eCommerce and shoppable video and webinar application, for use in direct selling and customer and prospect communications by its network of Independent Business Partners (IBPs).

Stemtech specializes in creating products and formulas that are patent protected in the U.S. and international markets. Its patented formulas help the release, circulation and migration of the bodys adult stem cells from its bone marrow. Its products are all-natural, plant-based and manufactured under cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) under the auspices of the Dietary Supplemental Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Stemtech has a history of innovation, was the first to market in the category of stem cell nutrition and was recognized four separate times by Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies list. Stemtechs primary marketing and distribution channel is through a direct sales structure, which offers supplemental and residual income-earning potential to IBPs.

VERB is the leader in interactive video-based sales enablement applications, including interactive livestream eCommerce and shoppable video, webinar, CRM, and marketing applications for enterprises and entrepreneurs., verbCRM, VERBs interactive video-based customer relationship and content management system, will be used as a selling tool by Stemtechs IBPs in marketing its products, acquiring new customers, and strengthening existing customer relationships. The platform allows users to easily manage, share directly with customers and prospects and through social media, and track interactive content, such as product literature and media, demo videos, and personalized videos. It provides interaction analytics so IBPs can determine which content is resonating with their prospects and assess overall customer engagement and campaign effectiveness. This enables IBPs to focus their time and energy more effectively on high-probability sales prospects who have shown interest, thereby increasing their sales conversion rates. Stemtechs verbCRM implementation also includes VERBs Business Tiles feature, which integrates verbCRM directly into Stemtechs back-office systems, allowing IBPs access to key reports and metrics relevant to improving their business-building efforts natively on the verbCRM app. verbLIVE, VERBs powerful interactive livestream ecommerce application, will be used by IBPs to engage directly with customers and prospects during live video sessions that allow viewers to quickly buy, receive additional product information, set up appointments, and access other customizable interactive features through clickable in-video buttons.

We are dedicated to supporting and empowering Stemtechs expansive network of Independent Business Partners by equipping them with the most current and best-in-class digital technology sales tools available, said John W. Meyer, President and COO of Stemtech. With VERBs sales enablement applications, our IBPs will be able to capitalize on our social media assets and content and more effectively engage with customers and prospects via livestream video to bolster our customer acquisition efforts and increase sales conversion rates.

Stemtechs Vice President of Global Performance, Sandra Kazickaite, says our select Field IBPs who have been beta testing the new mobile app Stemtech Advance Office, powered by VERB, has been very successful and we are all most excited to launch shortly.

We are thrilled to include Stemtech among the forward-thinking companies that have embraced VERBs interactive video and livestreaming technology to grow sales, said Rory J. Cutaia, CEO of VERB. VERB has developed a suite of easy-to-use products that create a friction-free, fun, social, and video-based sales experience to enhance customer engagement, while providing real-time viewer engagement analytics for more effective follow-ups that drive sales conversion rates. We are proud to be Stemtechs technology partner to help empower its Independent Business Partners with industry-leading sales enablement tools.

About Stemtech Corporation

Stemtech Corporation, a leading nutraceutical company with a direct sales distribution model, was founded on April 18, 2018, after acquiring the operations from its predecessor Stemtech International, Inc. which was founded in 2005. From 2010 through 2015, Stemtech International, Inc., was recognized four separate times on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies list. In 2018, the Company underwent an extensive executive reorganization, and continued operations under new leadership. Stemtech specializes in creating products and formulas that are patent protected in the U.S. and in select international markets. The Companys patented formulas help the release, circulation and migration of the bodys adult stem cells from its bone marrow. The Company markets its products under the following brands: RCM System, stemrelease3, Stemflo MigraStem, OraStem (Oral Health Care), and D-Fuze (EMF blocker). Its products are all-natural and plant-based and manufactured under cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) under the auspices of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). For more information, please visit http://www.stemtech.com.

About VERB

Verb Technology Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERB), the market leader in interactive video-based sales applications, transforms how businesses attract and engage customers. The Companys Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, platform is based on its proprietary interactive video technology, and is comprised of a suite of sales enablement business software products offered on a subscription basis. Its software applications are used by hundreds of thousands of people in over 60 countries and in more than 48 languages. VERBs clients include large sales-based enterprises as well as small business sales teams, including the sales and marketing departments of professional sports teams. MARKET is VERBs multi-vendor, multi-presenter, livestream social shopping platform at the forefront of the convergence of ecommerce and entertainment. With approximately 180 employees, the Company is headquartered in Lehi, Utah, and it also maintains offices in Newport Beach, California.

For more information, please visit: http://www.verb.tech.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include but are not limited to statements identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects" and similar expressions. The statements in this release are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences, including, but not limited to, results of clinical trials and/or other studies, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives, the effect of any competitive products, our ability to license and protect our intellectual property, our ability to raise additional capital in the future that is necessary to maintain our business, changes in government policy and/or regulation, potential litigation by or against us, any governmental review of our products or practices, as well as other risks discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our latest 10-Q Report filed onMay 16th, 2022. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement, or any information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time. Finally, the investing public is reminded that the only announcements or information about Stemtech Corporation which are condoned by the Company must emanate from the Company itself and bear our name as its Source.

Follow VERB here:VERB on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/VerbTechCo/VERB on Twitter:https://twitter.com/VerbTech_CoVERB on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/verb-tech/VERB on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0eCb_fwQlwEG3ywHDJ4_KQDownload verbMAIL here: verbMAIL on Microsoft AppSource Store

See more here:
STEMTECH CORPORATION Partners with VERB in Launching Interactive Video and Livestreaming Sales Enablement Apps to Strengthen Direct Sales Channel -...

Learning Objectives

Gene therapy works best by genetically repairing a patients stem cells. The easiest source of stem cells are from early embryos. The intersection of stem cell technology, genetic engineering, and cloning poses both scientific and ethical challenges.

Many organisms, such as bacteria and archaea, and diverse eukaryotes, reproduce asexually. Asexual reproduction results in progeny that are genetically identical to the parent, meaning that they are clones of the parent.

Most complex, multicellular eukaryotes, however, reproduce only sexually. Two haploid gametes unite to form a diploid cell, called a zygote, that reproduces mitotically to form all the somatic cells of a complex multicellular organism. During mitotic cell divisions, various cells express different sets of genes to differentiate into different organs, tissues, and cell types. Two fundamental questions of biology are: 1) how genes regulate the process of development, and 2) whether somatic cells undergo irreversible genetic changes as they differentiate.

Early experiments with cloning plants showed that individual somatic cells (cells that do not form pollen or egg) could form complete, new clonal plants, indicating that the somatic cells had no irreversible changes in their genome compared to the original fertilized egg cell.

The first studies to test whether vertebrate animals could be cloned used a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), where nuclei from somatic cells were transferred to an egg cell whose own nucleus had been removed.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer, from Wikipedia. Transfer of a nucleus from a differentiated somatic cell into an enucleated egg cell creates a one-cell embryo that is genetically identical to the donor of the somatic cell nucleus. The embryo is stimulated to divide to form an early-stage embryo consisting of multiple cells (labeled clone in the figure). In reproductive cloning, this early-stage embryo is implanted into the uterus of a surrogate mother. In therapeutic cloning, the early-stage embryo is disaggregated to recover and culture embryonic stem cells. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cloning_diagram_english.svg cc-by-sa-3.0

Early studies with enucleated frog eggs found that donor nuclei from early embryos supported development of a complete adult animal, but nuclei from tadpoles or adult frogs could not. These early results suggested that as vertebrate animals progressed through embryonic development, birth, and aging, their somatic cell nuclei became programmed to differentiate into specialized cells, rather than support embryonic development. We now know that this programming involves reversible modification of chromatin that restricts what genes can be expressed in differentiated cells.

The short video below shows the SCNT process:

In 1996, Ian Wilmut and colleagues found that by arresting adult somatic cell cultures in the cell cycle, he could erase some or most of their nuclear programming. Using cultured mammary gland cells from an adult sheep as the source of donor nuclei, he performed 277 SCNTs to create clone embryos. The embryos that divided normally were implanted into the uterus of foster mother sheep. Only a single lamb, Dolly, was successfully born alive and healthy from the 277 attempts. Since then, many other mammalian species have been cloned, with success rates varying from a few to low tens of percent.

https://www.dnalc.org/view/16992-Cloning-101.html

Mammalian reproductive cloning is still inefficient, with a low success rate, complications during pregnancy, and possible premature aging of the cloned offspring (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/cloningrisks/). As far as we know, no reproductive cloning of humans has yet been attempted.

The human body is quite limited in its ability to regenerate or repair injuries or diseases that affect critical organs such as the brain, heart, and pancreas. Tissue and organ regeneration and gene therapy require a source of cells that can differentiate into the desired types of cells, for the life of the patient. Adult humans have distinct reservoirs of stem cells, located in different parts of the body (such as the bone marrow). Stem cells, by definition, can continue to divide and both replace themselves and produce progeny cells that differentiate into new blood and immune system cells, or skin cells, or cells that line the gut and airways, or muscle cells. But these adult stem cells are difficult to obtain from a patient, and they are restricted in the types of cells or tissues they can form. For example, the stem cells in the bone marrow can generate both white and red blood cells, but not skin cells or new brain cells or heart muscle or pancreatic beta islet cells (to cure diabetes).

Cells in an early human embryo, however, are totipotent or pluripotent they can form any part of the human body. Such cells can be cultured indefinitely as embryonic stem cell lines. Existing human embryonic stem cell lines have been derived from in-vitro fertilized, early-stage human embryos, that would have perished without implantation into a uterus. These were surplus or back-up embryos from fertility clinics, that would have been discarded or put into indefinite cryo-storage.

Therapeutic cloning uses enucleated human eggs and somatic cell nuclear transfer technology to create a human embryo that is a genetic clone of the patient. The embryo is destroyed to obtain embryonic stem cells that have the same genotype as the patient. These cells can be cultured indefinitely, and hormonally induced to form new tissues and organs that will not be rejected by the patients immune system.

Link here to a narrated animation on Human Embryonic Stem Cells (Sumanas Inc)

In the last decade, genetic engineering technology has been used to create a new type of stem cell: induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These cells, created by transforming adult differentiated cells (such as fibroblasts or skin cells) with 4-6 different transcription factors that regulate early embryonic cell growth and differentiation, have many of the properties of embryonic stem cells. The question is whether these transcription factor genes can be safely used to transform the patients own cells without causing unacceptably high risks of cancer once these cells are reintroduced into the patients body. Because iPSCs do not involve destruction of human embryos, they have been the focus of intense research. A review by Wilson and Wu (2015) provides a concise description of the state of the research and the challenges in this field.

Stem cells, depending on whether they were obtained from adults, embryos, or induced with transcription factors, can be induced to differentiate into different cell types to generate replacement organs and repair damaged heart muscle, pancreatic beta cells, spinal cord or brain cells. Coupled with genome editing, stem cells could be used to treat patients with genetic disorders.

Slides for the videos above:

B1510_module5-2_Cloning_StemCells_2011

Wilson, KD and JC Wu (2015) Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, JAMA. 313(16):1613-1614. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.1846

https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/whatiscloning/

https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/clickandclone/ go through the steps to clone a mouse using somatic cell nuclear transfer technology

Original post:
Cloning and Stem Cells | Biological Principles