BioE Graduate Seminars

Event Introduction

From Academia to Industry; thank you iPS Macrophages for the ride!

Abstract

Macrophages have been attracting much attention as they are present in many tissues and organs and are involved in homeostatic tissue function and disease. Studies involving human macrophages have been hampered due to the ethical constraints and technical difficulties related to their isolation/derivation for in vitro expansion, and to the difficulty of genetically modifying them to interrogate the role of specific factors in macrophage behaviour. Thus, an off-the-shelf source of macrophages that is amenable to the vast arsenal of genetic manipulation techniques, such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), represents a valuable tool in the macrophage field, including basic research like disease modelling, and translational biology like drug-testing. Here, we will discuss some examples of iPSC-derived macrophage biology applications: both in the academic and in the industry/translational setting.

About the speaker

Dr. Martha Lopez-Yrigoyen is a Senior Scientist at Macomics. As part of the cell biology and immunology team, Martha is responsible for the development of novel complex cell models, myeloid functional genomics and reprogramming approaches, and immunology assays to support target identification, characterisation, and the study of antibody cellular pharmacology.  Martha has deep expertise in macrophage biology and has led the field in the development of methods for the genetic reprogramming of macrophages. Martha has published in leading international academic journals including Nature Communications and is a named inventor on macrophage patents. She has a PhD in the genetic programming of human iPSC-derived macrophages from the University of Edinburgh. She has received multiple awards including the Winifred Cullis Prize for outstanding PhD. She also holds two MSc. degrees: one in Regenerative Medicine and one in Education from the University of Edinburgh.