The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has approved awarding $21.3 million to create a network of Shared Resources Laboratories (SRLs) for Stem Cell-Based Modeling.

The SRLs are an important component of CIRM’s Infrastructure Program, which is designed to address the challenges that hinder progress in the regenerative medicine field.

The approved awards include: 

Application	Program Title	Program Director – Institution	Amount
INFR6.1-15357	Stem Cell-based Disease Modeling Shared Resource Laboratory	Carlesso, Nadia – City of Hope	$5,400,000
INFR6.2-15383	A modular automation approach to stem cell modeling to increase throughput, reproducibility and access	Plath, Kathrin – UCLA	$3,999,999
INFR6.2-15368	Shared Resources Laboratories to Enhance In Vitro Stem Cell Modeling and Training	Walsh, Craig – UC Irvine	$4,000,000
INFR6.2-15527	A Center for Stem Cell Disease Modeling and Therapeutics	Conklin, Bruce – Gladstone Institutes	$4,000,000
INFR6.2-15400	0 CIRM ASCEND Center – Advancing Stem Cell Education and Novel Discoveries	Lindstrom, Nils – USC	$3,946,795

The CIRM Board also recommended that 11 applicants may revise and resubmit their applications for funding approval.

The goal of the SRLs is to foster collaboration among California researchers, break down research silos, and provide students and researchers access to top-notch resources and training in using stem cell-based models to accelerate world class science. These stem cell-based models include various cell types of the brain, cardiovascular system, and other organ systems and will help advance knowledge of human diseases to identify potential therapies, biomarkers, and drug candidates. 

The SRL network will also support the use of state-of-the-art technologies, including CRISPR, omics analyses, and automation workflows. 

In a previous Infrastructure Program in 2007, CIRM awarded more than $50 million to finance the construction of shared research laboratories at 17 academic and non-profit institutions, which dedicated lab space for research using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).  

At the time, hESC research was still in its infancy, and federal policy prohibited research involving hESCs from being conducted in laboratories constructed with any federal funding. 

“By investing in shared resources laboratories, we are not only providing essential infrastructure for stem cell research but also positioning California at the forefront of this transformative research. These new SRL awards showcase the remarkable progress in stem cell research and highlight CIRM’s pivotal role in propelling stem cell research forward,” said Dr. Rosa Canet-Aviles, VP of Scientific Programs and Education at CIRM.  

“Through these awards, CIRM will continue to drive progress, now focusing on cutting-edge disease modeling using human stem cells.”