Salk Institute Receives a $2.3 Million Stem Cell Research Facility Grant

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies was awarded a $2.3 million share of the stem cell research facilities grants approved by the governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) on June 5.

At the Salk, the grant will support the development of shared laboratory space to be used by multiple investigators, and provide an environment for scientific research on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) under CIRM’s medical and ethical standards. The grant will also provide funds for equipment and operating expenses over three years.

“The availability of this shared research laboratory will allow Salk researchers to initiate research on human embryonic stem cells and to contribute to this very exciting field of biology,” says Program Project Director Inder Verma, Ph.D., a professor in the Laboratory of Genetics, who spearheads the stem cell facility project at the Salk Institute.

“The Salk faculty is also very grateful for the invaluable expertise and help during the planning stages provided by Garry Van Gerpen, senior director of Facility Services, and his staff members, who are the ones who ultimately make it happen,” Verma said.

To date, the Salk Institute has received more than $7.5 million in stem cell research grants from CIRM. Earlier this year, Salk professor Fred H. Gage received $2.9 million for research to develop methods of turning hESCs into neural stem cells; and professors Senyon Choe, Beverly Emerson and Sam Pfaff received seed funding totaling $2.28.