A menagerie of stem-cell models

A menagerie of stem-cell models

A menagerie of stem-cell models

When conventional laboratory models fail, stem cells from squirrels, seals and other species can come to scientists’ aid. But using unconventional models can be challenging: researchers can find themselves flying blind, with neither a reference genome nor knowledge of cells’ unique biology to guide them. “It’s sort of like cell-culture intuition,” says stem-cell biologist Jeanne Loring. “You have to be able to come up with your own set of instructions.”

Nature | 7 min read