Photoreversible hydrogels to study stem cell memory and fate

该项目将开发其硬度可以通过简单的光的应用来可逆地增加和减少的材料，并利用这些材料来建立关于干细胞命运是如何被调节的知识。机械线索对原子核结构和组织的影响将被确定。预期的结果是新的合成和光可逆培养材料，以及对力量如何改变细胞核以改变干细胞老化和命运的基本见解。这些发现将提供未来发展所需的关键信息，以测量细胞潜力的分析，以及推动干细胞扩张和组织再生的指导性生物材料，并将通过支持干细胞技术的未来进展而产生影响。

This project will develop materials whose stiffness can be reversibly increased and decreased by the simple application of light, and use these to build knowledge of how stem cell fate is regulated. The influence of mechanical cues on the structure and organisation of the nucleus will be determined. Expected outcomes are new synthetic and light-reversible culture materials, and fundamental insights into how forces change the nucleus to alter stem cell aging and fate. The findings will provide critical information required for the future development of assays to measure cell potency and instructive biomaterials to drive stem cell expansion and tissue-regeneration and will have impact by underpinning future advances in stem cell technologies.