Bio/Soft Matter Seminar feat. Professor Carrie Adler

We are hosting our first bio/soft matter seminar of the season!

Who: Prof. Carrie Adler, Cornell University 

What: Planarian stem cells: a model for limitless regeneration and renewal

Abstract:  Throughout our lives, we are constantly exposed to insults, including injuries, disease, and environmental toxins. Frequently referred to as a ‘fountain of youth’ given their potential for rejuvenation, stem cells have the capacity to restore damaged tissue. In most model organisms, regenerative capacity is limited and stem cells are scarce, which has made it difficult to pinpoint the mechanisms regulating their behavior. In addition, stem cell exhaustion occurs as we age, diminishing our ability to repair damaged tissues. Finally, while we have made significant progress in recapitulating organ growth in vitro, how might these tissues be used in humans to restore physiological function?

My research program has probed these questions in an emerging model organism, planarian flatworms. These animals have long been regarded as champion regenerators because they can rapidly replace any tissue that’s been damaged or lost, including the nervous system. The basis of this unlimited renewal lies in an abundant population of stem cells. My lab’s primary goals are to understand how these cells sense and respond to injury, and how they maintain genome integrity through repeated cell divisions. I will discuss our progress in dissecting organ regeneration, beginning with stem cells and ending with a fully restored organ.

Please note: Coffee hour at 10.30 am, right before the talk

Please let me (Mirna Skanata) know if any of your students would like to have a pizza lunch with Prof. Adler.