Duct tape patched on windows keeps out water and mold. Clear plastic sealed over an air vent provides more insulation.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara face a minefield of physical, financial and political barriers as they work to understand how stem cells from embryos can be used to fight disease. In this lab badly in need of upgrades, they focus on turning stem cells into a cavalry of replacement cells that can battle the eye disease of macular degeneration. Elsewhere on a campus striving to establish itself as a research nexus, scientists use stem cells from embryos, brains and even testicles in research linked to everything from Parkinson’s disease to alcoholism.