iPSC

ViaFect™ Reagent for Transfection of iPSC-derived Cell Lines

Posted on by Kyle Hooper

Madison, WI is home for Promega, and while it is not a huge city, Madison is home to many biotech companies, fed mostly by the local, world-class University of Wisconsin-Madison. Many scientists and scientist families work, live and play near one another here. It is not uncommon for two scientists from different companies to talk to one another and discover that their respective companies have products or processes that could benefit both companies.

Case in point: Scientists at Promega have a good working relationship with Cellular Dynamics International (CDI), a biotech firm that specializes in differentiated iPSC-derived cells. We want to demonstrate that our assays work in iPSC cells and CDI wants to demonstrate the range of assays that can be performed with their iPSC-derived cells.

Differentiated iPSC cells are as close to primary cells as you can get, and primary cells are notoriously difficult to transfect due to their slow rate of growth and increased propensity for death. CDI reported great success with ViaFect™ Reagent and generously shared their data with us (see image). Continue reading “ViaFect™ Reagent for Transfection of iPSC-derived Cell Lines”

The Scientific Case for Studying Chimeras

Posted on by Greg Emmerich
Chimera di Arezzo
Chimera di Arezzo was created by the Etruscans. Chimeras were established in mythology by Homer in Iliad as “a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire.” Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The definition of humanity is sacrosanct to many people. As science does, that line continues to blur. Stem cells have long been an ethical minefield for scientists to navigate for funding. Even something as common as an organ transplant was initially met with significant ethical concerns.

Most recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has proposed changes to their policies controlling the funding for stem cell research creating human-animal chimeras. On the surface it may be hard for the general public to imagine that combining human and animal cells could result in anything other than mythical creatures of Homer’s Iliad. Human chimeras are much more common than one may believe, and the reason to allow studies on these models is to further our understanding of diseases and how to treat them. Continue reading “The Scientific Case for Studying Chimeras”

Announcing the 10th Annual Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium: Engineering Limb Regeneration

Posted on by Karin Borgh

Image courtesy of James Monaghan, Ph.D., Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Image courtesy of James Monaghan, Ph.D., Northeastern University, Boston, MA

On April 22, 2015, the BTC Institute and Promega Corporation will host the 10th Annual Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium — Engineering Limb Regeneration: Recapitulating Normal Development and Regeneration? Our colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have put together an outstanding list of presenters who will address advances – and challenges – associated with this field of research.
Continue reading “Announcing the 10th Annual Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium: Engineering Limb Regeneration”