Science-- there's something for everyone

Monday, November 30, 2009

Glowing Cells

Talk about being red-blooded!
A team of scientists led by Professors Andrew Elefanty and Ed Stanley have modified a human embryonic stem cell line so that it glows red when the cells differentiate into red blood cells.
Stem cells are valued for their ability to turn into any cell type. The difficulty is in coaxing them to become the kind of cell you need at the moment.
This new cell line will fluoresce when the hemoglobin genes are turned on, allowing scientists to observe and possibly learn to control that process.



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