Assistant Professor Celina Juliano, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, was recently named as the winner of the 2020 Elizabeth D. Hay New Investigator Award. Juliano studies the regenerative capabilities and “biological immortality” of Hydra (Hydra vulgaris), a small freshwater invertebrate.

In the latest episode of The Stem Cell Podcast, Assistant Professor Celina Juliano discusses her research on Hydra, an aquatic animal with amazing regenerative capabilities.

In a study appearing in Science, Assistant Professor Celina Juliano, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and her colleagues used single-cell sequencing techniques to explore the genetic trajectory for nearly 25,000 cells of the immortal Hydra.

In his new lab at UC Davis, Assistant Professor Lucas Smith, Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, investigates how the accumulation of scar tissue affects muscle mechanics. His aim is to develop therapies that alleviate neuromuscular disorders and restore healthy muscle regeneration.

With a grant from the National Science Foundation, Assistant Professor Celina Juliano will help develop genomic tools that will promote regenerative research and hopefully increase the number of researchers using Hydra as a model system.

For more than 35 years, scientists have tried to isolate embryonic stem cells in cows without much success. Under the right conditions, embryonic stem cells can grow indefinitely and make any other cell type or tissue, which has huge implications for creating genetically superior cows.

The Hydra, a small freshwater invertebrate, is an advantageous model organism for regenerative biologists. Named after the serpent from Greek mythology that grew two new heads for each one cut off, this tiny, jellyfish-like creature holds within its genomic code the key to biological immortality.