BIOS 224: Stem Cell Biology and Applications

Course Description

This course explores the molecular and functional characteristics of totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, and unipotent stem cells, highlighting their diverse roles in research. This foundation will support the study of stem cell applications in developmental biology and translational research. A key focus will be on designing strategies for generating genome-edited stem cell lines and understanding the basics of epigenetics, particularly its role in cell differentiation. We will discuss major techniques for studying epigenetic changes and their research applications. Students will also gain hands-on experience using the UCSC Genome Browser as a tool to design genome editing experiments and access and visualize omics data.