Cloud-connected pluripotent stem cell platform enhances scientific identity in underrepresented students.

Publication Year:

2026

Authors:

Samira Vera-Choqqueccota, Drew Ehrlich, Vladimir Luna-Gomez, Sebastian Hernandez, Jesus Gonzalez-Ferrer, Hunter E Schweiger, Kateryna Voitiuk, Yohei Rosen, Kivilcim Doganyigit, Isabel Cline, Rebecca Ward, Erika Yeh, Karen H Miga, Barbara Des Rochers, Sri Kurniawan, David Haussler, Kristian Lopez Vargas, Mircea Teodorescu, Mohammed A Mostajo-Radji

PubMed ID:

42314669

Funding Grants:

CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy

Public Summary:

Through a collaboration with the UC Santa Cruz Braingeneers group, High School and Community College students have been able to participate in stem cell research that would otherwise be off limits due to the lack of proximity to needed advanced materials and equipment. Scientists at UCSD developed a cloud-based microscopy platform that allows livestreaming of cells in culture so that students can design an experiment and follow the development of stem cells into neurons in their own institutions. In the process, students not only gain hands-on exposure to stem cell research, but they learn how to design experiments, analyze data, and present their findings. An analysis of this engagement has found that the experience strengthens students’ scientific identity, confidence, and research readiness, with particularly strong benefits for Hispanic and first-generation college students. This collaboration demonstrates that such partnerships can help more students see themselves as future scientists and members of California’s regenerative medicine workforce.

Scientific Abstract:

Stem cell research offers unique opportunities for authentic scientific engagement, yet infrastructure requirements have confined participation to elite institutions, perpetuating workforce disparities. We developed an integrated framework combining stem cell engineering, cloud-connected microscopy, and psychometric assessment. The framework integrates a doxycycline-inducible NGN2 mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) system, low-cost cloud microscopy, and the Stem Cell Research Identity Scale (SCRIS). Implementation across a high school and a community college demonstrated significant increases in scientific identity. Students using differentiating PSCs showed broader science identity gains than those using neuroblastoma cells, particularly in competence, research readiness, and recognition. High school students showed enhanced research competence gains compared to community college students despite equivalent intervention duration. Demographic analyses revealed enhanced effectiveness for Hispanic and first-generation college students. This framework provides a scalable model for broadening participation in biomedical research.