The Pera Lab

Principal Investigator: Martin Pera, Ph.D.

The Jackson Laboratory
Bar Harbor, ME

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Human pluripotent stem cells and the human embryo: Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) have opened up a previously inaccessible phase of the human life cycle to experimental study.

Our laboratory has two main areas of research. We use human pluripotent stem cells to study extrinsic factors that regulate self-renewal, pluripotency and lineage specification during early human development. We also carry out functional genomic analyses in human and mouse pluripotent stem cells to identify genetic factors that influence regeneration and repair in the central nervous system. We are very pleased to be collaborating with the Nishina laboratory on a study of the genetics of macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness in the aging population.

Full Scientific Report

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is looking to fill a contract position for an Editorial Assistant for Stem Cell Reports, the official journal of the ISSCR. This position will provide administrative assistance to the Editor in Chief Professor Martin Pera and work closely with the Managing Editor.

See full job posting here

Open Positions

Job

Job Title

Location

Description

Lab Staff

Nurten Akturk

Research Assistant II

Kevin Hayes

Postbaccalaureate Intern

I work with human Embryonic Stem Cells as a model for understanding the molecular basis of self-renewal and differentiation in early, pluripotent embryos.

Tracy McGarr, M.S.

Research Assistant III

My primary research interest is in stem cell research.

Martin Pera, Ph.D.

Professor

The extrinsic regulation of self-renewal and lineage specification of human pluripotent stem cells. The genetic basis for individual variation in the response of the central nervous system to injury.

Daniel Cortes-Perez, M.D., Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Stem cell biology and neural differentiation to study neurological diseases and aging using genetic approaches. Axonal repair, neurotrophic factors and DYRK1a are also of interest

Chien-Yu Tung

Research Assistant III

My primary research interests are in stem cell research, immunology, and antibodies.

Highlighted Abstract

We describe the derivation of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells from human blastocysts. Two diploid ES cell lines have been cultivated in vitro for extended periods while maintaining expression of markers characteristic of pluripotent primate cells. Human ES cells express the transcription factor Oct-4, essential for development of pluripotential cells in the mouse. When grafted into SCID mice, both lines give rise to teratomas containing derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers. Both cell lines differentiate in vitro into extraembryonic and somatic cell lineages. Neural progenitor cells may be isolated from differentiating ES cell cultures and induced to form mature neurons. Embryonic stem cells provide a model to study early human embryology, an investigational tool for discovery of novel growth factors and medicines, and a potential source of cells for use in transplantation therapy.

The aging immune system and loss of adaptive immune response

Using mice spanning a spectrum of ages, a Jackson Laboratory research team led by Assistant Professor Jennifer Trowbridge, Ph.D., investigated changes in the maturation process of hematopoietic stem cells over time.

Stem cell expert Martin Pera joins faculty

Martin F. Pera, Ph.D., is a leading stem cell researcher with interests in neuroscience and regenerative medicine. He will join The Jackson Laboratory in January 2017.

NK cell-mediated killing of Leukemia in humanized NSG mice

A preclinical study published in December 2015 (Ruggeri et al., 2015) using humanized NSG mice demonstrates that an anti-NKG2A antibody can trigger NK cell-mediated killing of lymphoid and myeloid leukemias in vivo. The antibody blocks the “self” inhibitory signal produced when NKG2A receptors on human NK cells bind to their cognate ligand on cancer cells and stimulates the NK cells to destroy the cancer. The research demonstrates how humanized mice are used to evaluate immuno-oncology therapeutic efficacy, and provides hope for leukemia patients whose cancers are refractory to haploidentical stem cell transplantation therapy.

High-throughput analysis of single cells reveals cell-to-cell differences

Researchers describe an automated, high-throughput platform that allows simultaneous investigation of genotype, gene expression and DNA methylation at multiple locations in the genomes of single cells.

William Skarnes to lead cellular engineering at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

William Skarnes, Ph.D., an expert in stem cell engineering who began his career studying mouse developmental genetics, has been appointed director of cellular engineering at JAX.

The Pera Lab

Principal Investigator: Martin Pera, Ph.D.

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New Pera Lab Staff

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