Abstract: The present invention provides a method for reprogramming a human somatic cell to a cell exhibiting at least one characteristic of a trophoblast stem cell (TSC), the method comprising the following steps in order: a) increasing the protein expression of one or more factors in the somatic cell, wherein the factors are for reprogramming the somatic cell towards a pluripotent state; b) culturing the cell for a sufficient time and under conditions to allow the reprogramming of the cell towards a pluripotent state; c) contacting the cell with a culture medium suitable for sustaining trophoblast stem cells (TSC); and d) culturing the cell in the TSC medium for a sufficient time and under conditions to allow the cell to exhibit at least one characteristic of a TSC, thereby reprogramming the somatic cell to a cell exhibiting at least one characteristic of a TSC.

Abstract: A method for maintaining a cell in vitro that comprises the steps of: providing a cell of interest in cell culture, determining differential breadth of histone 3 trimethylated at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) modified regions and a differential broadness score for each protein-coding gene in said cell, determining a network score for each protein-coding gene in said cell based on the differential broadness score and interactions between the protein products of each protein-coding gene over at least one network, and determining a cell identity score for each protein-coding gene in said cell based on a combination of the differential broadness score and network scores. The cell identity scores are used to prioritise protein-coding genes thereby identifying cell identity genes for said cell, which encode factors associated with cell identity. The cell of interest is cultured in the presence of said factors, thereby maintaining the cell identity of the cell of interest.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and compositions for converting one cell type to another cell type. Specifically, the invention relates to transdifferentiation of a cell to a different cell type. The invention relates to a method for determining the transcription factors required for conversion of a source cell to a cell exhibiting at least one characteristic of a target cell type. The invention also relates to method of reprogramming or forward programming a source cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the identification of cell culture factors for cell maintenance and cell conversion

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for reprogramming a human somatic cell to a cell exhibiting at least one characteristic of a trophoblast stem cell (TSC), the method comprising the following steps in order: a) increasing the protein expression of one or more factors in the somatic cell, wherein the factors are for reprogramming the somatic cell towards a pluripotent state; b) culturing the cell for a sufficient time and under conditions to allow the reprogramming of the cell towards a pluripotent state; c) contacting the cell with a culture medium suitable for sustaining trophoblast stem cells (TSC); and d) culturing the cell in the TSC medium for a sufficient time and under conditions to allow the cell to exhibit at least one characteristic of a TSC, thereby reprogramming the somatic cell to a cell exhibiting at least one characteristic of a TSC.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions, including kits for reprogramming a source cell to a cardiomyocyte, the method comprising increasing the protein expression of one or more transcription factors, or variants thereof, in the source cell, wherein the source cell is reprogrammed to exhibit at least one characteristic of a cardiomyocyte.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and compositions for converting one cell type to another cell type. Specifically, the invention relates to transdifferentiation of a cell to a different cell type. The invention relates to a method for determining the transcription factors required for conversion of a source cell to a cell exhibiting at least one characteristic of a target cell type. The invention also relates to method of reprogramming or forward programming a source cell.