Saturday, May 7, 1-3pm

What are stem cells? What potential do they carry to change our lives?

As an informal introduction to what is at the root of the billions of dollars that will soon flow into medical research in California with the recent passage of Proposition 71, The Exploratorium presents a live, intimate view of mouse stem cells at its Microscope Imaging Station, on Saturday, May 7, 1-3pm. Drop in for an informal conversation about stem cells with Exploratorium biologist Charlie Carlson. Microscopist Kristina Yu, Ph.D. will have live mouse stem cells on view at the museum’s state-of-the-art Microscope Imaging Station facility. This event is included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium.

Stem cell research is among the most promising – and politically charged—areas of medical science today. Stem cells are present in early embryos and have the potential to become any cell or tissue type in the body. These primordial cells offer a window into the earliest stages of human development, and may eventually lead to new treatments of a variety of human diseases.