– ABOUT

Stem cells

Stem cells play a pivotal role in studying essential processes like tissue growth, development, ageing, and disease. The future of medicine lies in personalised therapies, which necessitate an understanding of drug-genetic-tissue interactions. Stem cell programs capable of guiding cell differentiation to create mini-organs in vitro are already being used for disease screening worldwide, including in Australia.

Delineating stem cell populations into tissues and organs from diverse populations is a complex and evolving process. By employing multi-omics methodologies, this Bioplatforms Australia Framework Data Initiative completed in 2021, and led by Dr Christine Wells from the University of Melbourne, aimed to unravel this complexity and shed light on stem cell biology’s potential applications.

This initiative brought together world-class expertise in pluripotent stem cell biology, including stem cell transgenics, imaging, single-cell analysis, cell biology, haematopoiesis, genome biology, and stem cell bioinformatics. Scientists from Stem Cells Australia led the experimental work, collaborating with partners from leading institutions across Australia, including the University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of Queensland, University of New South Wales, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, and CSIRO – Materials Science Division.