Polo Laboratory
Epigenetics and Reprogramming
Welcome to the Polo Lab
Our laboratory is interested in the transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms that govern cell identity, in particular pluripotency and the reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
We're part of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, and a member of the Development & Stem Cells, Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Program and the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology and the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute.
Professor José M. Polo
My global research connections, partners and funding can be viewed on my Monash Research Profile.
If you are a student interested in doing research in our lab, visit Supervisor Connect.
Click the links below to connect with me on ORCID, Google Scholar and LinkedIn.
There has been significant interest in Professor Polo's latest publication in Nature about iBlastoids.Read more about this discovery.
Our research
Being able to reprogram any specific mature cellular program into a pluripotent state and from there back into any other particular cellular program provides a unique tool to dissect the molecular events that permit the conversion of one cell type to another. The reprogramming technology and iPS cells can be applied to generate animal and cellular models for the study of various diseases as well as in future cellular replacement therapies. Understanding the epigenetic changes occurring during these processes is necessary to ultimately use iPS cell technology for therapeutic purposes.
Key focus areas:
- Pluripotent stem cells
- Induced pluripotency
- Reprogramming cells
- Transcription factors
- Epigenetics
- Bioinformatics
How to make pluripotent cells: playing with the molecular make-up. (Image designed and provided courtesy Scot Nicholls scot@ancientlakes.com.au)
Lab members
We are committed to excellence in research.
Join Our Lab
We're always interested in collaborating with bright and motivated researchers, clinicians and industry. Whether you want to research, study or partner with us to accelerate our discoveries, find out about the work we do.