Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Supersize It! Developing A "Supercytoplast" Through Platelet Fusion, Taulbee B. Gunter

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Stem cell research opens a wide range of possibilities from lab-grown tissues for medical purposes to cloned animals for livestock production. The issue with one of the most popular forms of cell recombination into a stem cell, known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), is that it requires an oocyte. The requirement of an oocyte is often the host of public scrutiny for its economic and ethical issues. Platelets may offer a less expensive and more accessible alternative to oocytes as sources of naturally enucleated cells. Thus, the objective of this explorative research project is to isolate and fuse platelets …