Some TGIF stuff to read, think about, and do. Still a few days left to nominate your favorite candidate for my Stem Cell Person of the Year Award for 2015. Who had the most impact this year? Thought outside the box? Let me know. Lots of great nominees already. If you haven’t already, check out …
The Japanese public broadcasting system, NHK, has been accused by scientist Haruko Obokata of violating her human rights. Obokata was the primary researcher involved in the STAP cell fiasco in which two ultimately retracted Nature papers contained duplicated, plagiarized, and manipulated data. She was certainly not the only researcher on those papers, but overall she …
Did NHK Violate Rights of Obokata (小保方 晴子) on STAP? Read More »
CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology is red-hot right now and I’ve been doing interviews with various thought leaders on it, which today includes Steven Pinker. This technology has great power for research in the lab and there are hypothetical transformative clinical applications of CRISPR too. The latter efforts could include experimental attempts at reversal of disease-causing …
Steven Pinker interview: case against bioethocrats & CRISPR germline ban Read More »
Later this May, I will attend and participate in Biotechnology and the Ethical Imagination (BEINGS 2015). This is an exciting and experimental summit that will focus on advances in cellular biotechnology – including both stem cell science and synthetic biology. The meeting is premised on the idea that the implications of increasing biotechnology power are …
Biotechnology & the Ethical Imagination – A Preview of BEINGS summit Read More »
Note that you can register for ISSCR Stockholm here and the early registration deadline is today, March 11. Even without ISSCR Stockholm is a city worth visiting! There is no Eiffel Tower, Colosseum or Big Ben but Stockholm is one of Europe’s best kept secrets and the most beautiful European city I have visited. This …
Tips for Visiting Stockholm During ISSCR 2015 by Heather Main Read More »
Here are some papers and news for weekend reads. What are you reading this weekend? What are your go-to stem cell journals? Hostile Takeover: Glioma Stem Cells Recruit TAMs to Support Tumor Progression by Yu Shi, Yi-fang Ping, Xia Zhang, Xiu-wu Bian in Cell Stem Cell. YAP1 Regulates OCT4 Activity and SOX2 Expression to Facilitate self-renewal and …
Weekend Reads: Cool Papers, PubPeer, Jacob Hanna, & More Read More »
What’s going on with the STAP cell situation now that it is into its third month? It’s getting worse instead of better or clearer, at least in part due to RIKEN’s incomplete investigation. What’s going on with STAP? New RIKEN Press Conference RIKEN reportedly held an odd sort of limited press conference today that TJO …
STAP April Update: Super Stressful on All Fronts Read More »
The Alabama Institute of Medicine (AIM) is one of the great success stories in the stem cell research field. It’s an extraordinary achievement as a state stem cell agency. Below I’ve interviewed one of AIM’s founders and its Vice President, Tory Williams. Above you can see a picture of Tory with Roman Reed at the …
Interview with Tory Williams of Amazing Alabama Institute of Medicine (AIM) Read More »
RIKEN Institute in Japan has formally announced the complete findings of its investigation into the STAP cell research, Haruko Obokata, and Nature papers. RIKEN almost entirely blamed Obokata for the STAP mess in this report and they didn’t mince words. The RIKEN report alleged that Obokata had engaged in two instances of “research misconduct” as …
RIKEN Report Is Virtual Acid Bath of Criticism for Obokata Read More »
Can Google’s new anti-aging company, Calico, have you Googling at age 140? Don’t sell your burial plot just yet. The idea of anti-aging has been around for a very long time and efforts to combat aging have spanned millennia largely without any success so Calico (apparently short for California Life Company, which sounds more like …
Has anti-aging finally come of age with Google’s Calico? Read More »