Erica P. Johnson
Your stem cells have just arrived. Now, how do you convert those frozen vials into a thriving, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research program? Last month I traveled to Wisconsin to get a primer from Daisy Manning, head instructor of a training course at the WiCell Research Institute in Madison, called "Introduction to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Culture Methods."
In a special student lab overlooking a nondescript research park through bulletproof glass, Manning took me through a gratis crash course on hESCs – a one-day version of the typically three-day class. Two hundred twenty students have rotated through this lab since WiCell began offering the class in 2003, paying $900 each for the opportunity. The class covers every aspect of basic stem cell culture, from preparation of the murine embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder layer to freezing down hESCs – everything but directed differentiation.
Manning encourages all new ...
