| Alessandro Bertero: Chromatin Architecting and Stem Cell Diferentiation | | Alessandro Bertero: Chromatin Architecting and Stem Cell Diferentiation | 2026-05-27T22:00:00Z | <p></p><p><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span style="font-size:14pt;">This week we have another exciting seminar on chromatin architecture, this time with Alessandro Bertero, a Guest Speaker from the University of Torino. Bertero's lab works, in his own words, "to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of cardiac disease, the #1 killer worldwide, which in turn provides the knowledge both to develop cells and tissues for heart remuscularization, and produce them in even larger scale from animal cells for human consumption".</span></span></p><p><span class="ms-rteThemeFontFace-1" style="font-size:14pt;"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Emphasis" style="font-size:18.6667px;">"To elucidate the genetic underpinnings of cardiac disease provides</span><span class="ms-rteStyle-Emphasis" style="font-size:18.6667px;"> the knowledge both to develop cells and tissues for heart remuscularization, and produce them in even larger scale for human consumption".</span><br></span></p><div><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal" style="font-size:14pt;">"We tackle a central challenge in biology: how to turn pluripotent stem cells into mature muscle cells at scale", Bertero says. "This question bridges two urgent goals: in regenerative medicine, mature human cardiomyocytes are needed to safely remuscularize the heart. In cellular agriculture, livestock mature myocytes can produce nutritious meat and seafood. Both fields face the same scale up barriers: by uncovering the molecular rules of this process, we aim to engineer cells that can both heal and nourish".</span><br></div><div><br></div><div style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><img src="/ibbtec/es-es/PublishingImages/Lists/Events/alessandro-bertero_orig.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:200px;" />  <a href="/ibbtec/es-es/PublishingImages/Lists/Events/20260528-sem-externo-bertero.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/ibbtec/es-es/PublishingImages/Lists/Events/20260528-sem-externo-bertero.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:444px;" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14pt;">Bertero's laboratory is based at the Molecular Biotechnology Center "Guido Tarone" and the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences. It is supported by the Giovanni Armenise–Harvard Foundation and the European Research Council, with additional funding by Fondazione Cariplo/Telethon and the Good Food Institute. Previously, they received support by MUR, FEBS, Compagnia di SanPaolo, NIH, and Additional Ventures.</span></div><div><br></div><p><span class="ms-rteThemeFontFace-1" style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>SPEAKER</strong><br>Alessandro Bertero<strong> </strong>(University of Torino)<br><strong>TITLE</strong><br>Chromatin Architecting: Understanding and Programming Stem Cell Differentiation.<br><strong>WHERE</strong><br>Thursday, May the 28th. 13 h.<br>IBBTEC Lecture Hall (PCTCAN - Cantabria)<br><strong>HOST</strong><br>Manuel Rosa-Garrido (CSIC - IBBTEC)<br></span><span style="font-size:18.6667px;"><strong>MORE INFO:<br></strong></span><a href="https://www.berterolab.com/" target="_blank" style="font-size:18.6667px;">Bertero's Lab</a><span style="font-size:18.6667px;"></span></p><div><strong style="font-size:14pt;">OVERVIEW OF ALESSANDRO'S BIO</strong></div><p><span class="ms-rteThemeFontFace-1" style="font-size:14pt;">My laboratory’s long term vision is improving human sustainable wellbeing. We work to achieve this goal through the integrative application of stem cell biology, gene editing, genomics, and bioengineering to:<br></span></p><ol><li><span class="ms-rteThemeFontFace-1" style="font-size:14pt;">elucidate the genetic underpinnings of cardiac disease, the #1 killer worldwide;</span></li><li><span class="ms-rteThemeFontFace-1" style="font-size:14pt;">develop regenerative medicine therapy for congenital heart disease, the most common life-threatening malformation in new-borns; and, last but not least,</span></li><li><span class="ms-rteThemeFontFace-1" style="font-size:14pt;">provide a cell-based alternative to factory farming, the main cause of biodiversity loss and a central contributor to climate change.</span></li></ol><p></p><p><span class="ms-rteThemeFontFace-1" style="font-size:14pt;">These seemingly distinct aspects are actually deeply interconnected: elucidating the gene regulatory mechanisms behind cardiac development and disease provides the knowledge needed to develop cells and tissues for heart remuscularization, which in turn can be produced in even larger scale from animal cells for human consumption. Overall, our work has the potential to improve human life on earth from a holistic perspective: cradle to table and all the way to rocking chair.</span></p><p><strong style="font-size:14pt;">RECENT PUBLICATIONS</strong></p><p>31. Balmas E*@, Ratto ML*, Snijders K*, Becca S, Liaci C, Ricca I, Merlo GR, Calogero R, Alessandrì L, Mendjan S, Bertero A@ (2025). Single cell transcriptional perturbome in pluripotent stem cell models. Molecular Systems Biology doi:10.1038/s44320-025-00172-8 </p><p>30. Truszkowski L*, Bottini S*, Bianchi S, …[14 authors], Balmas E, Elton C, Bertero A@ (2024). Refined and benchmarked media for cost-effective, weekend-free human pluripotent stem cell culture. Open Research Europe doi:10.12688/openreseurope.18245.2 </p><div><p>29. Guichardaz M, Bottini S, Balmas E, Bertero A@ (2024). Overcoming the Silencing of Doxycycline-Inducible Promoters in hiPSC-derived Cardiomyocyte. Open Research Europe doi: 10.12688/openreseurope.19024.1 </p><div><p>28. Hirstov BH, Noble WS, Bertero A@ (2024). Systematic identification of inter-chromosomal interaction networks supports the existence of RNA factories. Genome Research, 34, 1610-1623 </p><p>27 Sorge M@, Savoré G, … [8 authors], Balmas E, Raimondi A, Nattenberg G, … [15 authors], Tarone, G., Bertero A#, Brancaccio M#@ (2024). An intrinsic mechanism of meta </p><p>Marchiano S, … [26 authors], Bertero A#, Murry CE#,@ (2023). Gene editing to prevent ventricular arrhythmias associated with cardiomyocyte cell therapy. Cell Stem Cell 30, 396-414 </p><p>Bertero A*, Fields PA*, ... [7 authors], Murry CE@ (2019). Dynamics of genome reorganization during human cardiogenesis reveal an RBM20-dependent splicing factory. Nature Communications 10 </p><p>Bertero A*, Brown S*, .. [14 authors], Vallier L@ (2018). The SMAD2/3 interactome reveals that TGFβ controls m6A mRNA methylation in pluripotency. Nature<br></p></div></div> | Seminar | Alessandro Bertero | | |
