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News Date:
09/18/2009
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Title:
Stem Cell Awareness Day
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Article
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On September 23, The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency, will mark Stem Cell Awareness Day in partnership with research institutions, patient groups and educators around the world. Stem Cell Awareness Day was created to foster greater understanding about stem cell research and the range of potential applications for disease and injury.
Cell fate decisions, the capacity of stem cells to choose between different biological paths, underlie human development in health and disease. Understanding the internal and external factors that control cell fate decisions is a major goal in developmental and stem cell biology. UC Merced's Stem Cell Consortium is developing a vibrant program to understand, predict and control cell fate decisions. The Stem Cell Consortium is made up of a dynamic group of biology, bioengineering, chemical engineering and computation faculty who use innovative approaches to interrogate and manipulate individual cells in precisely controlled microenvironments.
At UC Merced, you will have a chance to meet stem cell scientists and listen to a discussion on the interdisciplinary stem cell research focus on campus. Discussion will highlight an introduction to stem cells with Professors Maria Pallavicini and Marcos García-Ojeda, a short presentation from Professor Nestor Oviedo - UC Merced's newest stem cell expert - and a presentation on the campus Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry, due to be completed in 2010.
This will be a great opportunity to learn what stem cells are, why they are important and what different types of stem cells are found in your body. This presentation is open to the public. High school students and teachers are encouraged to attend.
The presentation will be held from 5:30-6:30 PM in the Classroom and Office Building Room 105. For more information, contact Marnee Chua at mchua@ucmerced.edu.
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