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Explant Culture for Developmental Studies

Overview

Explant culture is a technique in which living cells or tissues are removed from an embryo for continued development outside of the organism. This ex vivo approach allows researchers to manipulate and observe developing tissues in ways that are not possible in vivo. Once established, explant culture is frequently used to understand the role of genes and signaling molecules in organogenesis.

This video will first introduce the basic principles of explant culture and demonstrate a protocol to isolate and grow explanted mammalian tissues. Common genetic and molecular methods of manipulating explant cultures will then be discussed. Finally, the viewers will learn about how explant techniques are currently being applied to study organ development.

Procedure

Explant culture is a technique in which whole tissues and organs are removed, or "explanted," from a fetus or embryo and are cultured out of the body, or "ex vivo." These methods provide a unique window to help us understand the process of development by enabling direct observations of organ and tissue growth-a process called organogenesis.

This video will examine the basic principles of explant culture, outline key steps of the procedure, discuss typical manipulations, and provide specific applications

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Tags
Explant CultureDevelopmental StudiesFetusEmbryoEx VivoOrganogenesisOrgan And Tissue GrowthManipulationsMorphogenesisExperimental MoleculesGene ExpressionFluorescence MicroscopyMammalian Tissues

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0:00

Overview

0:49

Advantages of Explant Culturing for Studies of Development

1:42

Explant Culture of Mouse Tissue

2:23

Typical Manipulation of Explant Cultures

3:39

Applications

5:59

Summary

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