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Illustration of tissue in blue and green

 

All living organisms regenerate as part of everyday life to maintain tissue and organs, however more complex animals such as mammals and humans have limited capabilities. Researchers in Cambridge are working together to learn lessons across tissues, systems and scales to make human limb and organ regeneration possible.

 

 

 

Collaboration and Engagement

 

 

In July 2024 we were delighted to partner with the British Society for Developmental Biology and the International Society for Regenerative Biology to deliver a one-day focus meeting tackling the biggest questions in tissue development and regeneration through interdisciplinary collaborations.

 

 

 

 

Other local meetings organised by the Reproduction, Development and Lifelong Health Research Theme focussed on developing cross-disciplinary concepts focussed on fundamental questions in regenerative bioscience. In May 2022, a workshop brought together scientists who work on tissue growth and regeneration from diverse perspectives to learn from each other and better understand how we can unlock regenerative potential across different tissues, scales and organisms. 

Speakers spanned 7 Departments: Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Genetics, Gurdon Institute, Pharmacology, Plant Sciences, Sainsbury Laboratory and Zoology. The meeting comprised a series of short talks and included areas such as plant growth, human development, animal tissue regeneration and evolutionary perspectives.

Bringing partners from engineering is an important aspect of this work and to facilitate new opportunities for collaboration, we held a second meeting in May 2024 gathering 26 researchers from across Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Technology to discuss Complex Tissue Bioengineering. Further opportunities to engage with the wider bioengineering community are being explored for future events.

Members of the University can find out more on the School Information Hub.

Cambridge Collaborators

Maria Alcolea, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Can Aztekin, EPFL

Sumru Bayin, Gurdon Institute

Elia Benito Gutierrez, Zoology

David Fernandez-Antoran, Gurdon Institute

Andrew Gillis, University of Chicago

Dino Giussani, Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

Jim Haseloff, Plant Sciences

Henrik Jonsson, Sainsbury Laboratory

Ragnhildur Thóra Káradóttir, Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Walid Khaled, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Golnar Kolahgar, Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

Emma Rawlins, Gurdon Institute

Andrew Sharkey, Pathology

Sanjay Sinha, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Ben Steventon, Genetics

Mekayla Storer, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Catherine Wilson, Pharmacology

Wider Network

Aziz Aboobaker, University of Oxford

Can Aztekin, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Osvaldo Chara, University of Nottingham

Uri Frank, University of Galway

Jérôme Gros, Institut Pasteur

Rita Mateus, Technische Universität Dresden and Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

Aida Rodrigo Albors, University of Edinburgh

Henry Roehl, University of Sheffield

Ashley Seifert, University of Kentucky

Filipa Simões, University of Oxford

Work with us

We welcome opportunities to collaborate with industry partners, policy makers and academics. If you are interested in working with us, please contact Dr Abi Herrmann, Research Strategy Manager.

Key Publications

To regenerate or not to regenerate: Vertebrate model organisms of regeneration-competency and -incompetency

Aztekin, CStorer, MAWound Rep Reg2022113. doi:10.1111/wrr.13000


A human embryonic limb cell atlas resolved in space and time

Zhang B, He P, Lawrence J.E.G. et al.  Nature (2023). doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06806-x


High-Throughput 3D Phenotyping of Plant Shoot Apical Meristems From Tissue-Resolution Data

Åhl H, Zhang Y, Jönsson H. Frontiers in Plant Science 2022 Apr 18; 13:827147.

doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.827147

Academic Leads

headshot of Sumru Bayin

Sumru Bayin

Gurdon Institute

Mekayla Storer

Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Ben Steventon

Genetics