Stem cells are basic units that can differentiate into specialized cell types in the body. They have two key properties - the ability to self-renew through cell division and the ability to differentiate into different cell types. There are three main types of stem cells - embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can develop into any type of cell in the body, whereas adult stem cells are more limited and can only generate specific cell lineages. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state.

Stem Cell Population Analysis

One important aspect of stem cell biology research involves analyzing the cellular makeup of stem cell populations. This helps characterize stem cells and study how they behave under normal and experimental conditions. Several assay techniques are commonly used to assess stem cell populations. Flow cytometry allows identification and quantitation of specific cell surface markers on individual cells within a mixed population. This helps distinguish stem cells from differentiated cells and identify different stem cell types/subtypes based on unique marker profiles. DNA content analysis via flow cytometry also provides information on the cell cycle distribution of stem cells.

Morphological characterization of stem cell colony formation is another marker of stemness. Stem cells have the ability to self-renew and form spherical colonies when cultured under appropriate conditions. Stem Cell Assays The size, density and morphology of formed colonies can reveal properties of the stem cell population like self-renewal capacity. Molecular assays like quantitative PCR are also employed to detect expression of key stem cell genes that maintain pluripotency or multipotency. Together, these population analyses help establish the stem cell identity and potency of isolated cell samples.

In Vitro Differentiation Assays

Assessing the differentiation potential of stem cells is crucial for evaluating their stemness and regenerative abilities. A variety of in vitro assays are performed to trigger lineage-specific differentiation of stem cells and analyze the resulting cell phenotypes. In embryoid body formation assays, embryonic stem cells are cultured as three-dimensional cell aggregates that mimic early embryonic development. Over time, the embryoid bodies spontaneously differentiate into cells of the three primary germ layers.

Get more insights on - Stem Cell Assay