Record participation at the European Action Day on Stem Cell Research in North Rhine-Westphalia!

The Europe-wide action day ‘UniStem Day’ took place for the eleventh time this year. Various events aim to arouse students' interest in stem cell research, to deepen their knowledge of the subject and to provide insights into research. In 15 countries 99 institutes opened their doors. One tenth of the offers took place in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)!

Scientists from the Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia welcomed pupils at eleven different research institutions. In the lab, they got to know different stem cell types, analyzed luminous proteins in induced pluripotent stem cells, observed so-called mini-organs at the microscope and saw the different steps to reprogram stem cells. "I didn’t expect that one could convert blood cells into functional nerve cells", astonished Lea (16) in Bonn.

In addition to biology, a further aspect during this day was the ethics of stem cell research. The students discussed, e.g. the social consequences of artificial human germ cells or the evaluation of untreated stem cell therapies.

Following research institutions participated in the UniStem Day:  

• Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Genetic Engineering and Cell Culture
• University of Bonn, Institute for Science and Ethics
• University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute of Political Science
• Ruhr University Bochum, Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology
• Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Institute of Pathology, Institute for Physiology and Institute for Biomedical Engineering
• University Hospital of Bonn, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology
• University Hospital of Düsseldorf, José Carreras Cord Blood Bank
• University Hospital of Düsseldorf, Neuroregeneration
• University Hospital Essen, Institute for Transfusion Medicine
• University Hospital Münster, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics
• Witten/Herdecke University, Institute of Immunology

The activities addressed entire school classes or individual pupils who had previously submitted a motivation letter.