Jackson Laboratory

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

Announcements

July 04, 2017

New Pera Lab Staff

View all research positions

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.

Selected Publications

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.

View full list of publications

Search MagazineOctober 11, 2019
Sherlock Holmes of the inner ear
JAX scientist Vidhya Munnamalai investigates the complex puzzle of cochlear development in an effort to cure hearing loss.
Research HighlightJanuary 04, 2018
The state of the science in culturing totipotent stem cells
A review in the journal Cell Stem Cells by two JAX scientists reports on the latest efforts to isolate and culture the elusive populations of stem cells that most closely resemble very early (two-cell stage) totipotent cells.
Research HighlightAugust 22, 2016
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.
- Stem cells
- Genetics and Genomics
Press ReleaseJune 06, 2016
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.

Search MagazineAugust 09, 2019
Unlocking the power of stem cells
Professor Martin Pera, Ph.D. combines his extraordinary expertise in human stem cell biology with powerful JAX resources in order to bring about breakthroughs in reproductive therapies and regenerative medicine.
Research HighlightDecember 13, 2016
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.
- Aging
- Stem cells
- Immunology
- Aging
Press ReleaseAugust 15, 2016
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.
eNewsApril 12, 2016
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.