Dynamic models for mesenchymal stem cells: a 3-D ex vivo culture
system mapped to existing 2-D differentiation models
Supervisory team:
Main supervisor: Prof Rachel Errington (Cardiff University)
Second supervisor: Professor Alastair Sloan (Cardiff University)
Dr Rachel Howard-Jones (Cardiff University)
Collaborators: Dr Anne Carpenter (Broad Institute), Dr John Elliott (National Institute for Standards
and Technology, Washington DC)
Host institution: Cardiff University
Project description:
The major aspect of this work is to study a human mesenchymal stem cell micro-community, tuned
for emulating the tooth and bone repair (the 'biology'); and at the same time to enable integration
into microscopy platforms appropriate for high-content
imaging (the technology challenge). In the proposed project the
student will develop two/three/four dimensional ex vivo
models that address mesenchymal progenitor biology. The
overall aim is to obtain appropriate kinetic and phenotypic
maps that allow us to understand the cell and molecular aspects
of tissue and dentine regeneration; efforts into defining and
embracing these models as we translate between them offers
unique opportunities for applying systems biology strategies.
We believe that this is an under-developed and exploitable
opportunity to use ex vivo modelling to replace live-animal work in tissue engineering with models
that preserve the crucial link between matrix and mesenchymal cell function. The student will be part
of a thriving environment with access to the latest microscopy platforms. Our key collaborators based
on the east-coast of the USA, at the Broad Institute and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology provides the student with opportunities to be part of an international team, enabling
them to shape their studentship experience and to work with the best in the business of measuring
single cells!
Figure - Mesenchymal Stem Cells isolated from a tooth tagged with green fluorescent protein (green)
growing in a collagen gel (pink).