Research Center
Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC
The research happening every day at USC’s stem cell research center will have an enormous impact on human health around the globe.
Our world-class scientists are harnessing the power of stem cell biology to develop new approaches to treat neurodegeneration; hearing loss; blood, heart and kidney disease; osteoarthritis and bone fractures; and cancer.
USC’s talented researchers rely on the center’s state-of-the-art facilities in imaging, therapeutic screening, stem cell engineering, flow cytometry, and stem cell isolation and culture to help move discoveries out of the laboratory into the clinic.
Core Facilities
The Chang Stem Cell Engineering Facility
At the stem cell engineering facility, researchers at USC and beyond create tools to study basic biological processes, such as organ development; explore mechanisms underlying various devastating diseases; and generate tools to treat genetic disorders. To assist in these endeavors, the facility genetically modifies embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines. Genetically modified ES and iPS cell lines derived from disease-specific animal models and patients provide an opportunity to investigate the mechanisms of disease and to further develop new treatments for clinical therapy.
The Choi Family Therapeutic Screening Facility
At the Choi Family Therapeutic Screening Facility, researchers can screen a large collection of chemicals or biological entities to see how they affect different cell types from a particular disease patient. They can then determine whether these compounds or agents “cure” the disease in a petri dish and identify safe and effective dosages. The therapeutic screening facility is comprised of chemical and other libraries, specialized equipment for screening a menu of chemical compounds and their reactions to cells, and highly trained technicians to run the facility and support investigators.
Flow Cytometry Facility
The Flow Cytometry Facility provides the research community with state-of-the-art technology to selectively phenotype and isolate specific populations of cells. Using fluorescent probes and transgenic proteins, researchers monitor several aspects of their cell populations, including phenotype, cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle and cell activation. Additionally, cell purification by electrostatic cell sorting enables cutting-edge research on low frequency cells. This essential resource aides investigators performing research in cancer, cancer-related areas, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at USC and in the Los Angeles region.
Optical Imaging Facility
The Optical Imaging Facility provides access to powerful microscopes that enable scientists to take high resolution pictures of stem cells. These include still images and time-lapse videos. Cells or parts of cells can be labeled with fluorescent dyes, which enable better identification of molecules and structures within cells, or to trace the fate of cells as they migrate, divide and differentiate within tissues.
