Biophysical Society Bulletin | January 2023

Career Development

Emerging Tools in Biophysics: StemCells, Organoids, and Bioprinting In fall 2022, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science

(SACNAS) Conference was held at the beautiful Convention Center of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it included sessions on a variety of topics from chemistry and mathematics to physics and biology. This organization focuses on the encouragement and scientific progress of underrepresented young scientists across the United States. In addition to promoting diversity, inclusion, and professional advancement via local-chapter activities and other events, SACNAS holds a yearly nation al conference that brings together thousands of ethnically underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdocs, university professors, and industrial scien tists. The SACNAS National Conference provides young under represented scholars with the opportunity to be exposed to a wide range of recent scientific concepts and discoveries. In addition, SACNAS attendees can visit a large number of exhib itor booths that advertise graduate school programs as well as industrial, postdoctoral, and academic jobs available across the United States. This year the SACNAS Conference featured a biophysics-relat ed event chaired by Silvia Cavagnero , Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. All presentations in this session focused on “Human Stem Cells and Organoids as New Technologies to Understand Biology and Cure Disease” and were sponsored by the Biophysical Society. Cavagnero started the session by introducing the Biophysical Society to the SACNAS attendees and by explain ing the meaning of the term “biophysics,” which is sometimes perceived as somewhat mysterious or cryptic by non-experts. She went on to explain what biophysicists do, and how the field of biophysics has been evolving in recent years by em bracing a variety of novel technologies. Then Xinyu Zhao , Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, took the stage and delivered a clear introduction on stem cells. Zhao started by explaining what stem cells are and the important differences among embryonic, pluripotent, and in duced-pluripotent stem cells, as well as progenitor cells. She then gave an insightful historical overview about how the field has been evolving. She also explained the role played by James Thompson , a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madi son, and other scientists in the isolation and characterization of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripo tent stem cells (iPSCs). The differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into particular types of cells in the hu man body (e.g., cardiac, epidermal, neural) has recently

enabled both basic and applied biological research that was not feasible just a few years ago. For instance, it is now possible to use iPSC differentiated neurons to obtain results more relevant to human brains and brain diseases than with previous experiments employing animal cells or non-neuronal cell cultures. The advancement in stem cell field opens the door to new cell biology and biophysical investigations. In addition, ongoing research in regenerative medicine is starting to enable the replacement of damaged regions of living organisms with functional neurons differentiated from human iPSCs. Furthermore, mini-organs or organ-like 3D assemblies known as organoids can now be generated. Organoids are derived from stem cells and enable the analysis of complex phenomena that are hard to study in vivo because of poor availability of source organs and widespread differ ences among specimens from patients. More recently, it has become possible to generate mini-organ-like systems via bioprinting, thus increasing reproducibility relative to conven tionally prepared organoids. An oral presentation by Madeline Smerchansky , a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Melissa Kinney ’s lab, followed. Smerchansky provided fascinating de tails into the application of stem cell research to immunology. Finally, a second presentation by Zhao highlighted the role of stem cells and organoids in mechanistic studies on Fragile X syndrome, a genetic form of autism spectrum disorder. In summary, the 2022 SACNAS session on stem cells and or ganoids shared cutting-edge research advances and exposed a variety of scientists, many of whom are from underrepre sented groups, to exciting new tools in biophysical research. Speakers at the SACNAS session on stem cells and organoids (from left to right): Xinyu Zhao, Silvia Cavagnero, and Madeline Smerchansky.

January 2023

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