My post yesterday on the problems with the current system of stem cell funding generated a lot of interest from readers– more than a dozen left comments. Many of the comments were insightful even if readers disagreed on certain points. David Jensen also posted on an interesting piece on this issue in response to our …
Trends in Stem Cell Research Funding: where do we go from here? Read More »
Great ideas are the foundation of science, but funding makes great ideas become realities and a monopoly on funding hurts science. UPDATE: NIH data backs up our conclusions: overfunding wastes precious resources–give the money to smaller labs. Arguably the key driver of the exciting progress in stem cell research is funding. With the stakes so …
Stem cell monopoly: do not pass go, do not collect $200,000 Read More »
Reportedly, House Republicans are proposing a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the rest of FY2011 at 2008 funding levels. To achieve such an end, the Republicans would have to invoke serious cuts through the federal budget. Not only would such cuts likely damage the U.S. economy, but also they would have major other negative consequences. …
Today is New Year’s Day for the Chinese New Year. Happy New Year! On the Chinese Calendar it is year 4708 instead of 2011. I hope year 4708 is a good one for you and your family. Today being Chinese New Year has got me thinking about how the Chinese view stem cell research. My …
Happy Chinese New Year, Year 4708. China and Stem Cells Read More »
Last Fall’s mid-term election brought into office several new Republican Governors who during their campaigns used strong, anti-embryonic stem (ES) cell research rhetoric. For example, then candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker (now the Governor) used some of the strongest language, which was ironic considering that human ES cells were first produced in Wisconsin …
New Republican Governors Start Attack On Most Promising Stem Cell Research Read More »
A new paper is out from a team at The Salk lead by Joseph Ecker that the methylomes of many different human iPS cells. Their conclusion is that while iPS cells and ES cells are generally very similar in terms of the global portions of the genomes that are methylated, iPS cells exhibited hundreds of …