Cell Culture: Implementing robotics and artificial intelligence

Most animals, including humans, are made up of different organs and tissues formed by specialized cells that perform specific roles. When tissues degenerate or become damaged, the affected cells have to be replaced so the tissues can keep performing their roles. This regenerative potential exists thanks to populations of stem cells in each tissue, which can divide to produce more stem cells – maintaining a constant pool of stem cells for repair – or differentiate into specialized cells to replace damaged cells. The division and differentiation of stem cells needs to be in balance: if too many stem cells differentiate, the pool of stem cells could become exhausted, but if the stem cells divide uncontrollably this could lead to cancer. However, this balance often fails with age, or due to environmental or genetic reasons.