B-BRIGHTER was present at the prestigious Gordon Research Conference 2023 on “Epithelial Differentiation and Keratinization”, held last 04-09 of June in Castelldefels, Spain. The team of Ruby Shalom-Feuerstein from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology was invited to present their last advances in the research of cornea stem cells.
The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Epithelial Differentiation and Keratinization stands as a foremost global scientific event dedicated to propelling the boundaries of knowledge, showcasing pioneering and previously unreleased research. This year, the meeting is entitled “Novel mechanisms of regulation in epithelial biology and their implication in physiology, aging and disease”, and strives to unite distinguished speakers who are pioneers in the field of stem cell biology, cancer, regenerative medicine, immunity, aging, epigenetics, skin diseases, novel single cell molecular technologies, global genomics, and novel therapies.
In this context, Shalini Dimri, a postdoctoral researcher at Dr. Ruby Shalom-Feuerstein’s Lab at Technion, Israel, gave a talk about the work on stem cells being carried out in their laboratory in the frame of B-BRIGHTER project, under the title: “Repair of total stem cell loss: a lesson from the transparent “skin” of the eye”.
Shalini began her talk by introducing B-BRIGHTER project and technology, and afterwards she focused on the use of cornea as a robust stem cell model. She emphasized its assets as it allows tracing stem cells in live with simple microscopy, observing spatial segregation of stem cells and differentiated cells, and a robust regeneration, among other advantages. To conclude her presentation, she mentioned that differentiation is a reversible process, central cornea shows high plasticity and dedifferentiated cells display bona fide stem cell features.
The Gordon Research Conference puts a strong emphasis on encouraging discussions following each presentation and cultivating casual exchanges among scientists at every stage of their careers. The conference agenda boasts a rich array of speakers and discussion leaders hailing from institutions and entities across the globe, converging to explore the most recent advancements within the domain. For sure it has been a very fruitful event for B-BRIGHTER project.