Schools event: using stem cells to test new drugs

7-9 February 2006

EuroStemCell scientists from the Institute for Stem Cell Research and Stem Cell Sciences ran a series of 26 workshops over 3 days last week, attended by more than 300 Edinburgh high school students.

The aim of the workshops was to give participants a taste of a career in stem cell research, before making their school subject choices.

After a short introduction to stem cells and their role in the body, the students' first task introduced them to a one of the most important aspects of working in science - observation.

"I thought it was interesting how the cells moved like a heartbeat"

Students used a microscope to look at a flask of cells grown in the lab from mouse embryos.

The cells had begun to change into a more specialised cell type. We asked students to observe them for a few moments, to see if they could figure out, just by looking at them, what kind of cells they were.

"I liked squirting the drugs into the pink stuff"

Once the participants had identified the heart cells, they conduted a simulated drug test on a sample of the cells, to rule out possible toxic compounds - drugs that would damage or kill the cells.

This gave students a chance to don a pair of gloves and test their skills with a pipette, while also demonstrating an important biomedical application of stem cells.

Click our feedback board to read what participants had to say...

Thank you to Stem Cell Sciences, the Scottish Stem Cell Network and the University of Edinburgh for supporting this workshop. We are also grateful to the participating scientists who brought the workshop to life and inspired so much positive feedback!