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cell science
cell science
unlocking the hidden rules of how cells become organs—and using those rules to build biology's next research frontier

Every organ in your body started as a small cluster of identical cells. How those cells knew what to become is still one of science's great mysteries.
A group of stem cells doesn't just grow and expand. The cells self-organize, communicate, and shape themselves into three-dimensional structures that become the tissues and organs of the body. Until now, we've lacked the tools to study this process at the scale and level of detail needed to truly understand it—and then use that knowledge to build something transformative.
We're building CellScapes: an integrated framework for how cells self-organize by combining imaging, computational modeling, and synthetic biology. Once we understand the rules, we can program them into synthetic tissues that act like miniature organs—giving researchers a new platform to study how cells behave in health, in disease, and in response to medicine.

Understanding the rules of how cells become tissues opens an entirely new frontier, where biology becomes programmable and disease interventions become even more precise.
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We study how cells self-organize by integrating imaging, computational modeling and synthetic biology, revealing fundamental principles in cell biology and laying the groundwork for breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating disease.
Ruwanthi (Ru) Gunawardane
Executive Vice President and Director, Cell Science

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Attendee Details: Summer Teacher Academy
Thank
you for joining us for the 2023 Cell Science Teacher Academy. At this
workshop
,
you’ll
learn about the Allen Institute, tour several
cell biology
labs, learn about current research, and explore
curriculum units that use research-grade open data from the Allen Institute for Cell Science.

2023 Cell Science Teacher Academy
Interested in bringing cutting edge cell biology data and visualization tools to your classroom? Join us at the Allen Institute for the 2023 Cell Science Teacher Academy! At this workshop, learn how to enhance cell biology instruction with research-grade human cell image data. Teacher Academy is an opportunity for educators to work with our scientists and researchers to learn how to use our open data tools in their classrooms, explore our curriculum resources, tour our specialized research labs, and learn from scientific staff about the latest and greatest in STEM career pathways and research. Teachers will receive a $600 stipend and 16 continuing education STEM clock hours will be available for eligible Washington educators for participation.
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