Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

For more information on the project alone: it is available in the Project Ideas tab on Science Buddies.

--> The purpose of this project is to determine the best protein environment for bioengineering a kidney through the use of stem cells. I am still in the beginning stages, such as figuring out the best way to make this project "my own." One of the suggestions was to incorporate findings about differentiating pluripotent stem cells into Bowman's capsule cells. I have researched a little bit and have found a couple articles regarding this. Are there any other good resources regarding experiments/articles, as well as clinical trials regarding bioengineering vital organs in general? I am not entirely sure on the availability of such resources, especially those that do not cost money.

Another question of mine is how to expand this project idea. I have read through the project procedure, and the findings/conclusions that one draws from this project is entirely through knowledge found on the internet through databases, as well as any books available. I was wondering if there would be a way to test different proteins in a cell culture setting? The use of a professional lab, as far as I know, is only allowed in special cases. I do not have much background information as this is still in its starting stages however could it be possible to test proteins in such a way that would incorporate the purpose of this project?

Hi,

Using stem cells to repair or regenerate human organs is a hot area of research right now especially since pluripotent stem cells have been generated from adult cells so no embryonic tissue is needed.

The Scibuddies human kidney project is purely ‘in silico’—no lab work. If you want to experiment with real cultured stem cells you would need to talk to a research professor at a university or college who has a lab where scientists and students work with stem cells. They would be looking for someone with at least basic experience in tissue culture and lab procedures because it takes a lot of time and effort to train a student in all the techniques so they can work on their own.

If you can find someone to teach you the lab methods for working with stem cells that would be great. You would learn a lot and get to participate in science in action in a research lab. On the other hand, there are many scientists who publish papers based on computer modeling, data analysis, DNA or protein database searches, protein-protein interaction studies, and more without once touching a test tube. Research scientists have to do a lot of computer work as well as bench work, so don’t feel that this project is not important because it does not involve physical experiments.

Developing a good testable hypothesis is probably the most important part of research. Studying what other scientists have done and thinking about how to adapt their results to what you are interested in is critical to a successful project. I have heard that kidneys are in short supply in many areas, so developing a method to grow a replacement in the lab or to repair a defective one using stem cells is a very significant goal.

I did a search on PubMed for ‘stem cell kidney regeneration’ and found some potentially useful free papers:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25258667
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25019020
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24895592
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24498117

If you want to make the project your own, there’s one idea that you could explore—growing stem cells on a three dimensional matrix. This type of culture system mimics the way cells grow in the human body and provides a better environment for their growth. Often when stem cells are grown on a fibrous matrix or hydrogel they respond better to growth factors or sometimes don’t even need them. This is a very new and underexplored area and there’s not much published yet. Here’s one paper you could look at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18442709

Let us know what you want to do and we’ll help you along to produce a great project.

Good luck!

Sybee