International Workshop on Stem Cell Differentiation: the Influence of Biomaterials and Biomechanics, Shanghai, China, March 13-15, 2013

1258916欧阳智力优势：本提案的目的是支持2013年3月13日至15日在中国上海举行的为期3天的干细胞国际研讨会，题为：干细胞分化：生物材料和生物力学的影响。干细胞的成功分化和成熟对许多基础和应用研究领域至关重要，包括干细胞生物学、细胞治疗学和组织工程。已经开发了多种方法来调节干细胞的命运，包括生化刺激、生物力学扰动和生物材料调节。这些研究表明，哺乳动物干细胞的结构、发育和功能受到多种细胞外和细胞内因素的显著影响。事实上，潜在的调节因素是如此广泛，以至于在个别领域工作的研究团队很少在科学会议上互动。因此，本次国际研讨会的目标是整合干细胞分化理论、实验和临床翻译方面的研究小组。这种类型的研讨会将有助于介绍新颖的，当前的研究和种子新的想法和合作，以研究以下内容：(i)干细胞分裂是如何由有丝分裂，运动和细胞极化过程中单个分子的动态特性控制的。（ii）如何通过生物材料设计和生物力学扰动进一步加强这些过程。（三）当前干细胞分化研究如何转化为临床应用。（iv）对比文化和政府对干细胞研究的态度以及对政府资助的影响。更广泛的影响：会议将汇集来自美国、欧洲和东南亚的约75名国际研究人员和研究生，他们对跨学科研究感兴趣，接触和/或接受过培训，但不一定是干细胞多个领域或技术的专家。会议经费将支持15名研究人员（包括初级教员），并提供旅行奖励，支持来自美国的大约10名研究生和博士后参加研讨会。研讨会将分为上午和下午两部分，邀请细胞生物学、生物物理学、生物化学、显微镜学、遗传学和理论建模方面的专家发言。我们的目标是邀请超过30%的女性演讲者和参与者。少数族裔及/或残障人士的申请人将获选参加旅游奖励。本次会议将通过促进来自不同领域的研究生之间的互动来实现鼓励国际学生教育的重要目标，并作为一个突出REU/RET项目产生的本科研究合作的平台。组织者计划发表一份报告，总结会议期间产生的新想法和合作。

1258916Ou-YangIntellectual Merits:The objective of this proposal is to support a 3-day international workshop on stem cells in Shanghai, China during March 13th to 15th of 2013, entitled: Stem cell differentiation: The influence of biomaterials and biomechanics. The successful differentiation and maturation of stem cells is critical to many fields of basic and applied research, including stem cell biology, cell-based therapeutics and tissue engineering.There have been a variety of methods developed to modulate stem cell fate, including biochemical stimulation, biomechanical perturbation, and biomaterial modulation. These studies have revealed that the structure, development, and function of mammalian stem cells are significantly influenced by a wide variety of both extracellular and intracellular factors. In fact, the list of potential modulating factors is so broad that the research teams working in individual areas only rarely interact during scientific conferences. Therefore, this international workshop is proposed with the goal of integrating research groups working on theory, experimentation, and clinical translation of stem cell differentiation. This type of workshop will serve to present novel, current research and seed new ideas and collaborations to investigate the following:(i) How stem cell division is governed by the dynamic properties of individual molecules during mitosis, motility, and cell polarization.(ii) How these processes can be further enhanced by biomaterial design and biomechanical perturbation.(iii) How the current research in stem cell differentiation could be translated into clinical applications.(iv) Contrast cultural and governmental attitudes toward stem cell research and the impact on government fundingBroader Impact:The conference will bring together a group of about 75 international researchers and graduate students from the US, Europe and South East Asia to China that have an interest, exposure and/or training in interdisciplinary research but who are not necessarily experts in multiples areas or techniques of stem cells. The conference grant will support 15 investigators, including junior faculty members, and provide travel awards to support approximately 10 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from the US to participate the workshop. The workshop will be organized into morning and afternoon sessions with invited speakers who are experts in cell biology, biophysics, biochemistry, microscopy, genetics and theoretical modeling. The goal is to have more than 30% of women invited speakers and participants. Applicants who are minorities and/or persons with disabilities will be selected for these travel awards. This conference will fulfill an important goal of encouraging international student education by facilitating interactions of graduate students from diverse areas with each other and serve as a platform to highlight undergraduate research collaborations resulting from REU/RET programs. The organizers plan to publish a report summarizing the novel ideas and collaborations that developed during the meeting.