The scientist who led a study into the regenerative abilities of a marine creature related to corals and jellyfish has been elected a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
The organisation, which is Europe’s leading academy across the life sciences, has recognised the work of Prof Uri Frank, who is based in the University of Galway’s Centre for Chromosome Biology.
Prof Frank led a research team from the centre which selected the cnidarian Hydractinia - a creature which is a close relative of jellyfish – for a study of the developmental potential of adult stem cells.
A female individual of Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Body cells are shown in red; stem cells and maturing eggs in green
Cnidarians are a group of animals that includes corals and jellyfish and can be grown in laboratory conditions.
They have regenerative abilities and don’t appear to age during their life span, which can extend over several thousand years.
The study by Prof Frank and PhD student Áine Varley was published in the international journal Current Biology.
The team established the marine animal as a “model organism” for stem cell research, including the development of genetic tools that allow the generation of transgenic animals.
The highly regenerative animals are unusual, according to Frank and colleagues, as they do not succumb to age-related deterioration, nor do they develop cancer.
It is thought that understanding how Hydractinia's stem cells act in mediating these traits will provide insight into how stem cells function in other animals, including those of humans.
Professor Frank joins two other colleagues from the research centre who have been elected members of EMBO – Prof Brian McStay and Prof Noel Lowndes.
