Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering at UC Santa Barbara

Overview

The mission of the UCSB Center in Stem Cell Biology and Engineering is to foster an interdisciplinary program of stem cell research and teaching in the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Three general areas of stem cell research are being investigated: Molecular Mechanisms, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, and Regenerative Medicine. Combining these approaches, researchers are able to investigate targeted diseases in a multidisciplinary fashion.

Training

A grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was awarded to UCSB to develop a graduate and postdoctoral training program in stem cell research.

Facilities

A shared laboratory has been established free of federal funding to allow research on all stem cell lines.

Research Spotlight

Memory in iPS cells?

Induced pluripotent stem cells are derived from reprogrammed somatic cells, and are very similar to embryonic stem cells. However, recent reports indicate that they can retain a "memory" of their origin. Qirui Hu, working with Linc Johnson and Dennis Clegg, found that iPS cells generated from retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells so a tendency to spontaneously redifferentiate into RPE (for more details see Hu et al., Stem Cells, 2010). These results suggest a general strategy for converting iPS to a particular cell type.

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