ESC & iPSC News Volume 6.31 | Aug 10 2011

Sperm Made (Mostly) in a Dish Produce Normal Mice
A Kyoto University group has found a way to turn mouse embryonic stem cells into sperm precursor cells and to use the resulting sperm to produce normal mouse pups. [Press release from ScienceNOW discussing online prepublication in Cell]

New Resource to Unlock the Role of MicroRNAs
A new resource to define the roles of microRNAs has been announced. The resource, called mirKO, gives researchers access to tools to investigate the biological role and significance for human health of these enigmatic genes. [Press release from Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute discussing online prepublication in Nature Biotechnology]

Reconstitution of the Mouse Germ Cell Specification Pathway in Culture by Pluripotent Stem Cells
Scientists demonstrate here the generation of primordial germ cell-like cells in mice with robust capacity for spermatogenesis. [Cell]

Tet-Mediated Formation of 5-Carboxylcytosine and Its Excision by Thymine-DNA Glycosylase in Mammalian DNA
Here, investigators demonstrate that 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in DNA are oxidized to 5-carboxylcytosine by Tet dioxygenases in vitro and in cultured cells. [Science]

A Resource of Vectors and Embryonic Stem Cells for Targeted Deletion of MicroRNAs in Mice
Here scientists describe a collection of 428 microRNA (miRNA) targeting vectors covering 476 of the miRNA genes annotated in the miRBase registry. [Nat Biotechnol]

BRACHYURY and CDX2 Mediate BMP-Induced Differentiation of Human and Mouse Pluripotent Stem Cells into Embryonic and Extraembryonic Lineages
Here researchers readdressed BMP function in human embryonic stem cells and mouse epiblast-derived cells. [Cell Stem Cell]

Tet1 Is Dispensable for Maintaining Pluripotency and Its Loss Is Compatible with Embryonic and Postnatal Development
To establish the role of Tet1 in pluripotency and development, investigators have generated Tet1 mutant mouse embryonic stem cells and mice. [Cell Stem Cell]

Unexpected X Chromosome Skewing During Culture and Reprogramming of Human Somatic Cells Can Be Alleviated by Exogenous Telomerase
Using balanced populations of female Rett patient and control fibroblasts, scientists confirm that all cells in induced pluripotent stem cell colonies contain an inactive X, and additionally found that all colonies made from the same donor fibroblasts contain the same inactive X chromosome. [Cell Stem Cell]

Efficient Generation of Transgene-Free Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) by Temperature-Sensitive Sendai Virus Vectors
Here scientists show that Sendai virus vector is a practical solution for the efficient generation of safer iPSCs. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Exome Sequencing and Analysis of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Identify the Cilia-Related Gene Male Germ Cell-Associated Kinase (MAK) as a Cause of Retinitis Pigmentosa
Researchers used exome sequencing to identify a homozygous Alu insertion in exon 9 of MAK as the cause of disease in an isolated individual with retinitis pigmentosa. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

CI Awarded $1.86 Million Stem Cell Research Training Grant
California State University Channel Islands (CI) recently won a $1.86 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to help prepare graduate students for careers in stem cell research. [California State University Channel Islands Press Release]

NeoStem Announces the Receipt of Over $1,700,000 in DOD Funding for its VSEL™ Technology Being Developed to Treat Osteoporosis
NeoStem, Inc. announced that the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program of the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs has awarded NeoStem $1,780,049 to be applied towards funding the Company’s VSEL™ Technology. [NeoStem, Inc. Press Release]

Republicans to Cut Stem Cell Funding?
Almost all of the Republican candidates for the 2012 presidential term would restrict federal funding for human embryonic stem cells, which many scientists worry could hinder scientific advances in the field. [Republicans, United States]

Debt Ceiling Bill May Hurt Science
The debt ceiling proposal that passed the House of Representatives on August 1 will likely cause deep spending cuts for government scientific research if the Senate passes the bill. [House of Representatives, United States]

A First Look at the Debt Agreement and U.S. Research
The legislation President Barack Obama signed to avert a government default offers few details on how the United States will achieve a now-mandated $917-billion cut to discretionary spending over the next decade. [Barack Obama Legislation, United States]

Researchers Welcome Promised U.K. Copyright Reform
The U.K. government has decided to make the country’s copyright laws more compatible with research practices in the internet age—bringing them “into line with reality,” as business secretary Vince Cable put it in a speech. [U.K. Government, United Kingdom]

NEW 2011 Maryland Stem Cell Research Symposium
October 6, 2011
Towson, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the ESC & iPSC community.

Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Technologist, hPSC Media (STEMCELL Technologies)

Scientist (iPSC) (STEMCELL Technologies)

PhD Research Position in the Department of Biological Chemistry (Weizmann Institute of Science)

Career Development Fellows (Medical Research Council)

Research Group Leader – Human Epigenomics and Stem Cells (MRC Clinical Sciences Centre)

Postdoctoral Position (Nanyang Technological University)

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