New 'Life From All Angles' video highlights Lance Lian’s stem cell research

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The latest episode of "Life From All Angles," a YouTube series from the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, features Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Xiaojun "Lance" Lian and his efforts to produce new cardiomyocytes to advance the effectiveness of stem cell differentiation.

Lian’s research focuses on the application of genome editing techniques and stem cell differentiation to successfully produce a variety of critical cells that, when transplanted, are accepted by the recipient's body without provoking an immune response. With the use of CRISPR gene editing technology, Lian’s lab has successfully locked out the genes associated with immune interaction.

“We are very dedicated to developing gene editing technologies that correct [disease causing] mutations,” said Lian. “We work on different new projects and take the risky steps.”

The new episode explores Lian’s success in making stem cell engineering more effective and less expensive, with techniques pioneered by his lab leading to an increase in cell production yield from 1% to 90%, a significant decrease in time allocated to produce the cells, and a reduction of overall costs by 95%.

Previous episodes of "Life From All Angles" have featured a variety of topics, including:

• Sally Mackenzie and her research on Epigenetics.
• Laura Weyrich and her research on Oral Microbiomes.
• Steven Schiff and his research on Infant Hydrocephalus in Uganda.
• Nita Bharti and her research on tracking diseases with public data.
• David Hughes and the PlantVillage Project on the 2020 Locust Crisis.

To see previous episodes of "Life From All Angles" and other videos from the Huck Institutes, visit the Huck YouTube channel.