Dr.Kennedy Omondi Okeyo

11-Okeyo Kennedy Omondi.jpg


Name:

Kennedy Omondi Okeyo

Your   title:

Dr.

Affiliation:

Institute of Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University

Email   address:

okeyo@infront.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Brief   CV

Dr. Kennedy O. Okeyo is currently a   senior lecturer at the Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences,   Kyoto University. He did both his masters and doctoral studies at Kyoto   University, Japan, and graduated with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in   2010. He then worked as a researcher at the Hitachi Central Laboratory,   Japan, before becoming an assistant professor at the Department of Mechanical   Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Japan. His current research interests   includes tissue engineering, biomicrofluidics, and cell biomechanics, with specific   interests in application of microdevices to engineer multicellular systems   for biomedical applications, drug discovery and basic biological studies.

Presentation   Title:

Discerning   the differentiation potential of human pluripotent stem cells by modulating   the adhesion microenvironment

Abstract:

In this study, we aimed to decipher   the potentiating effect of the adhesion microenvironment on self-organization   and differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), in the   absence of chemical stimulation. Using an original micromesh culture approach   in which cell-substrate adhesion is highly restricted in order to trigger   self-organization mediated by cell-cell adhesion, we monitored the evolution   of morphogenetic events marked by adhered single cells self-organizing to   form cell layers from which emerged complex 3D cysts exhibiting trophoblast   lineage markers. The cysts were characterized by high levels of hCG hormone   production, CDX2 expression, and could successfully generate trophoblast-like   stem cells under permitting culture conditions. Collectively, our study   demonstrate the potentiating effect of the adhesion microenvironment on   self-organization and differentiation of hiPSCs, and highlight the importance   of modulating the adhesion microenvironment to capture unique cellular functions   that are otherwise not manifested easily under conventional dish culture   conditions.

Expected   way and time of your presentation:

Presentation   way: live or video (PPT incorporated with voice)

Presentation   time: LIVE presentation possible. If Oct. 22, I would prefer AM,   if Oct. 23rd, both AM and PM are possible.