• Question: Have you had any breakthroughs?

    Asked by esmith1 to Zach, Claire, Elizabeth, Mark on 11 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by michaelo, miag.
    • Photo: Zach Dixon

      Zach Dixon answered on 11 Mar 2014:


      From time to time I do have some little breakthroughs yes 🙂

      But the thing is, in science the breakthroughs often bring more questions than answers, so we need to keep pressing on with the research!

    • Photo: Elizabeth Ratcliffe

      Elizabeth Ratcliffe answered on 19 Mar 2014:


      Hi esmith1, yes I’ve had a few breakthroughs…
      I discovered a new way of imaging complex bioreactors (cell growth chambers) so we can track medium and cells inside them (see glowing bioreactor pic on my profile!).
      I have also been the first to use a method of experiment design called Response Surface Methodology on stem cells / regenerative therapies – technical term but really means we can look at lots of different experimental factors in one go (rather than changing one factor at a time which is the traditional scientific way)
      I have also discovered a new way of measuring stem cells when they are defrosted (we store cells by freezing them – this is called cryopreservation) – previously we didn’t know whether we had a good or bad defrost until days later but with my method we can tell within 1 hour. For some stem cells this is really important because they don’t like being frozen, having more information and better measurements around freezing can help us perform better experiments to make the process of freezing better.

      Some of these discoveries I did myself but for a lot of discoveries we have help from other scientists around us as it takes a lot of work. As Zach says we use these new discoveries to be able to find out even more than we knew before, in my work we also use them to help companies and researchers who are developing new medicines

    • Photo: Mark Wallace

      Mark Wallace answered on 20 Mar 2014:


      I’ve figured out a way of making a copy of parts of you cells using oil and water

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