Dr. Andrew McMahon, Dr. Seth Ruffins and the judges of the USC Stem Cell Image of the Month contest would like to congratulate our September 2013 winner, In Kyoung Mah, a graduate student in Dr. Francesca Mariani’s lab. In Kyoung’s image of embryonic stem (ES) cells that have differentiated into neurons is currently on display in the Foyer of the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC.
The Mariani lab has been studying the role of the gene PRKCI on symmetric versus asymmetric cell division and the generation of several different stem cell populations, including neural stem cells. To create the winning entry, In Kyoung used Retinoic Acid to induce the ES cells to differentiate. The green indicates nestin positive stem cells, whereas the red displays neural-specific b-tubulin.
In Kyoung should contact Dr. Ruffins to claim her prizes: a high-quality print of her winning entry and $20.
Thank you to everyone who entered this month’s contest. All entries will be posted on the USC Stem Cell Website (stemcell.usc.edu) and the Broad Center Website (broadstemcell.usc.edu).
October 2013 will mark an extra special edition of the contest judged by members of the general public who attend our upcoming CIRM-sponsored Stem Cell Social. All non-winning entries from previous months will be automatically entered. Please note that the deadline for new entries will be earlier than usual: October 24.
About the USC Stem Cell Image of the Month Contest
The Image of the Month contest invites USC stem cell researchers from across the university to submit high-resolution images or artistic renditions. The goal is to encourage and showcase the scientific excellence and creativity of USC’s research enterprise.
Each winner receives a $20 gift card and a print of his or her entry, which is also displayed in the Foyer of the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. All entries are posted on the USC Stem Cell Website, and winning images are considered for possible inclusion in The Weekly.
USC faculty, post-doctoral researchers or students wishing to enter should submit their images, one-sentence informative captions, names and laboratory affiliations to Dr. Seth Ruffins at ruffins@usc.edu.