Stem Cell Network
Established in 2001, The Stem Cell Network( SCN) has become Canada ’s foremost research organization dedicated to enabling the translation of stem cell research into clinical applications, commercial products and public policy.
Supported by the Government of Canada, SCN has facilitated the growth of Canada ’s stem cell research community, and has provided approximately$ 85 million for innovative, translational research.
Funding has supported over 130 world- class researchers and 2,500 trainees from across Canada.
Additionally, SCN has catalyzed 12 clinical trials, 11 start- up companies, incubated several international and Canadian research networks and organizations, and established the Till& McCulloch Meetings, Canada ’s foremost stem cell research event.
The mission of the organization is" to be a catalyst for enabling translation of stem cell research into clinical applications, commercial products or public policy."
SCN is a Network of Centres of Excellence with funding of$ 6.5 million per year from 2008- 2015.
The organization is based in Ottawa, Ontario.
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committees
The National Academies called for the establishment of Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight( ESCRO) Committees in its 2005" Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research" to manage the ethical and legal concerns in human embryonic stem cell research.
Because of the complexity and novelty of many of the issues involved in that research, the Guidelines committee believes that all research institutions engaged in human embryonic stem cell research should create and maintain these committees at the local level.
The composition and responsibilities of ESCRO committees was further clarified in the" Amendments to the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research", released in February 2007.
Terra Incognita: The Perils and Promise of Stem Cell Research
Terra Incognita:
The Perils and Promise of Stem Cell Research, also known as Terra Incognita: Mapping Stem Cell Research, is a documentary film released by Kartemquin Films in 2007.
The film follows Dr. Jack Kessler of Northwestern University in his search for a cure for spinal cord injuries using embryonic stem cells.
When Kessler was invited to head up the Neurology Department at Northwestern, his focus was on using stem cells to help cure diabetes.
However, soon after his move to Chicago, his daughter Allison – then age 15, was injured in a skiing accident and paralyzed from the waist down.
In the moments following the accident, Dr. Kessler made the decision to change the focus of his research to begin looking for a cure for spinal cord injuries using embryonic stem cells.
Through Kessler's story, we bring the stem cell debate to the public for discussion.
The film follows the constantly evolving interplay between the promise of new discoveries, the controversy of modern science and the resilience and courage of people living every day with devastating disease and injury.
The film was directed by Maria Finitzo( 5 Girls), and was broadcast on PBS' award- winning series Independent Lens in 2008.
' Terra Incognita' won a 2008 Peabody Award recognizing the film's uncompromising look at stem- cell research.
The film also won Best Documentary Feature at the 2009 Kos International Health Film Festival in Greece.
2004 California Proposition 71
Proposition 71 of 2004( or the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act) is a law enacted by California voters to support stem cell research in the state.
It was proposed by means of the initiative process and approved in the 2004 state elections on November 2.
The Act amended both the Constitution of California and the Health and Safety Code.
The Act makes conducting stem cell research a state constitutional right.
It authorizes the sale of general obligation bonds to allocate three billion dollars over a period of ten years to stem cell research and research facilities.
Although the funds could be used to finance all kinds of stem cell research, it gives priority to human embryonic stem cell research.
Proposition 71 created the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine( CIRM), which is in charge of making" grants and loans for stem cell research, for research facilities, and for other vital research opportunities to realize therapies" as well as establishing" the appropriate regulatory standards of oversight bodies for research and facilities development".
The Act also establishes a governing body called the Independent Citizen ’s Oversight Committee( ICOC) to oversee CIRM.
Proposition 71 is unique in at least three ways.
Firstly, it uses general obligation bonds, which are usually used to finance brick- and- mortar projects such as bridges or hospitals, to fund scientific research.
Secondly, by funding scientific research on such a large scale, California is taking on a role that is typically fulfilled by the U.S. federal government.
Thirdly, Proposition 71 establishes the state constitutional right to conduct stem cell research.
The initiative also represents a unique instance where the public directly decided to fund scientific research.
Pearl View
Pearl View is a 1970 Indian Malayalam- language film, directed and produced by Kunchacko.
The film stars Prem Nazir, Sharada, Adoor Bhasi and Manavalan Joseph.
The film had musical score and songs composed by G. Devarajan.
German Society for Stem Cell Research
The German Society for Stem Cell Research( Deutsche Gesellschaft für Stammzellforschung or GSZ), established in 2003 by Juergen Hescheler, brings scientists from around Germany together and has an emphasis on basic research in stem cell biology.
The main purpose of the society is to promote stem cell research.
In order to achieve this goal the society promotes the stem cell research in basic research and in academic teaching by allocating available funds to support training programs, to organize seminars and conferences, as well as instigating the exchange of students and scientists on national and international level for collaborative projects and resulting publications.
The German Society for Stem Cell Research aims at establishing a network of scientists in stem cell research nationwide and eventually offering a platform to provide competent and independent counsel for all questions related to stem cell research.
Kevin Eggan
Kevin Eggan( born 1974 in Normal, Illinois) is a Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University, known for his work in stem cell research( also known as" therapeutic cloning"), and as a spokesperson for stem cell research in the United States.
He was a 2006 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship( sometimes nicknamed the" genius grant").
In 2005, he was named to the MIT Technology Review TR35 as one of the top 35 innovators in the world under the age of 35.
Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine( inStem) is an autonomous research institute in Bangalore, dedicated to the study of stem cell science and regenerative medicine research.
in Stem is funded by Department of Biotechnology and well- supported, with access to facilities at both National Centre for Biological Sciences( NCBS) and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms( C- CAMP).
Together these three institutions serve as part of the Bangalore Bio-Cluster.
The institute is also the umbrella organization for three initiatives:
in Stem itself, the Center for Stem Cell Research( CSCR) located at CMC Vellore, and an Extramural Program in Stem Cell Research( EPiSTEM), a funding initiative for support of stem cell research nationwide.
Australian Stem Cell Centre
The Australian Stem Cell Centre is an Australian medical research and development centre which focuses on regenerative medicine through the use of stem cells.
Founded in 2003, the Centre is the National Biotechnology Centre of Excellence and has received over $100 million in funding in recent years.
It is Australia's premier stem cell research organisation.
In June 2008, the Centre announced that it had begun working on induced pluripotent (iPS) cells (human embryonic stem cells, artificially created without human eggs or embryos).
This was the first time in Australia that such research had been carried out, and the first time that scientists had worked on this type of stem cell outside the US or Japan.
It is based at Monash Science Technology Research and Innovation Precinct and was founded by nine leading Australian universities and medical research institutes.
One of the founders of the Centre is Dr Alan Trounson, a Monash scientist who was part of the team that delivered Australia's first IVF baby in 1980.
Trounson has also made several ground-breaking discoveries in stem cell research.
In 2000, Trounson led the team of scientists which first reported nerve stem cells derived from embryonic stem cells, which led to a dramatic increase in interest in the potential of stem cell research.
Irish Stem Cell Foundation
The Irish Stem Cell Foundation is Ireland's National Stem Cell Research Organisation.
A Member of the International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks, the foundation is committed to the pursuit of international cooperation, collaboration and excellence in the stem cell field.

Question: Which film came out first, Pearl View or Terra Incognita: The Perils And Promise Of Stem Cell Research?
Answer: Pearl View