WHITAKER INTERNATIONAL SCHOLAR, 2010

Mark Steedman

Mark Steedman

Grantee Type:
Scholar
Home Institution:
UC San Francisco/UC Berkeley
Host Country, Institution:
United Kingdom, Imperial College of London
Year:
2010
Project Title:
Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation via Micro-Topography and Substrate Stiffness
Project Abstract:
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are increasingly being studied for use in regenerative medicine. However, current methods to differentiate ESCs into appropriate tissue-specific cell types do not result in a high enough yield to be therapeutically feasible. The proposed research examines the role of the physical micro-environment in ESC differentiation. It has been previously shown that substrate stiffness and surface micro-topography individually influence cellular differentiation. We hypothesize that the combination of substrate stiffness and surface micro-topography will enhance and accelerate ESC differentiation toward tissue-specific lineages.