Stem cell facts, on Twitter and Storified
Tutto sulle cellule staminali: stem cell info in Italian
Get to grips with embryonic stem cells
Clinical trials news: January 2012 update
Our growing blogosphere
From our toolkit: Stem cells for blood transfusion? - A public exhibit
From our toolkit: Start with a stem cell classroom concept games
Stem cell resources: recent additions to our directory

Off to a flying start in 2012

How has 2012 begun for you? We're sticking to our new year's resolution and going monthly with this newsletter, so you'll get more regular updates from us. We've already got lots to tell you about this year - from blogs and tweets to new educational resources in our Toolkit and translation into another language: Italian.

For even more regular updates, you can follow us on Twitter, check out our Facebook page or subscribe to our RSS feeds. And if you haven't visited the site for a while, do take a look and get in touch with your feedback and ideas.

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Stem cell facts, on Twitter and Storified

At the start of February, we used Twitter to post a series of fascinating facts and 'test your knowledge' questions about stem cells, using the hashtag #stemcellfacts. The tweets covered a lot of ground, from embryonic stem cells and blastocysts to skin stem cells, gut stem cells, heart cells and regeneration.

Tutto sulle cellule staminali: stem cell info in Italian

Our translators have been busy, and our website is now available in Italian. Newly translated FAQ, Factsheets and Toolkit resources include the highlights listed below.

If Italian's not your language, now's your chance to have your say. We're prioritizing other languages for translation, and would like your input. Take a moment to complete our translation poll and tell us which new language you would most like to see content in. Read more

Get to grips with embryonic stem cells

Embyronic stem cells are often in the news, but it can be hard to get to the bottom of what is really going on in research. We thought it was time to tackle this problem so we've set up a one-stop spot for the latest on embryonic stem cell research: www.eurostemcell.org/embryonic-stem-cells

Clinical trials news: January 2012 update

Before new treatments can reach patients, they must be tested in clinical trials. This is our second brief update on some stem-cell-related trials currently under way or recently approved.

What's covered in this update?

This update looks at trials for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or motor neurone disease, as well as the latest news on how the trials we told you about in September are progressing. We’ve included details of one or two new trials for some of the conditions we focussed on last time: spinal injury, Stargardt’s macular dystrophy and stroke. We’ll post more updates on other themes in future, so tell us if there’s an area you really want to know about.

Our growing blogosphere

Our two intrepid bloggers from 2011, Anestis Tsakiridis and Selina Wray, are still writing great new posts, and they've just been joined by Kerstin Schmidt. Kerstin shares her experience of engaging school students in her first blog post, 10 minutes to make a difference.

You can also read Part III of Anestis' blog Behind the Bench: A series about researchers and their rituals on the site now. Or have you tried Erin Campbell's beautiful image blog?

From our toolkit: Stem cells for blood transfusion? - A public exhibit

An interactive exhibit for public events, available on loan free-of-charge

The MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, together with scientists at Glasgow University and the Irish and Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service have developed a public engagement exhibit ‘Stem cells for blood transfusion?’ which explores the possibility of generating blood from stem cells to provide a limitless and infection-free blood supply. The exhibit has been a great success at public events and is available for loan free-of-charge. Read more

From out toolkit: Start with a stem cell classroom concept games

Colourful concept posters and group games with teachers' notes for use in the classroom.

Enhance your lessons about stem cells with this group of resources designed for science festivals and adapted for the classroom. The set contains three fun, interactive activities that can be adapted for different ages and abilities from 11 year olds upwards. Use to introduce or consolidate stem cell concepts either as a whole class or as group activities. Read more