Ep. 220: “Developmental and Synthetic Biology” Featuring Dr. Michael Levin

Guest:

Dr. Michael Levin is the Director of the Allen Discovery Center and a Distinguished Professor of Biology at Tufts University. He is a cognitive biologist who utilizes model systems such as Xenopus to answer fundamental questions in developmental biology. He talks about regenerating frog legs, using bioelectricity to direct development, and the potential applications of xenobots.

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The Stem Cell Science Round Up

Repairing a Discarded Liver for Transplantation – Researchers used a perfusion device to preserve a discarded liver for multiple days, and successfully transplanted it into a patient.

Improving Cell Therapy with IL-9 Receptors – By repurposing IL-9 receptor signaling, T cells gained new functions, resulting in improved anti-tumor activity for hard-to-treat solid tumors.

Liver Regeneration After Acute Injury – Scientists used spatially resolved single-cell RNA sequencing to study mouse liver regeneration after acute acetaminophen intoxication.

Epigenetic Changes in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension – Researchers found that the epigenetic reactivation of transcription factors associated with lung development underlies pulmonary arterial hypertension pathogenesis.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Michael Levin