On the 21st May, 16 members of the public, selected from over 140 entries, were invited to see inside the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute.

Guests were met by the Institute Director, Professor Austin Smith, who gave an overview of current progress in stem cell research.　

Escorted by a PhD student or postdoctoral researcher, groups of guests visited five specialised areas of the Institute. They followed the development of a theoretical research question "How are cell fate choices made in the developing embryo?".

Andy Riddell, our flow cytometry expert, shows visitors how this complex technology allows us to isolate specific cell populations.

Research Associate, Tuzer Kalkan, answers some tricky questions!

A guest tries her hand at passaging a cell line in the Tissue Culture facility.

"The staff were excellent at explaining their work and their enthusiasm was very obvious."

"I gained an insight into just how complex stem cell research is and that stem cell therapy is not as simple as what journalists and the media would have us believe."