University of Notre Dame biologist Malcolm J. Fraser, Jr. was essential to a newly proposed alternative to embryonic stem cell research announced two weeks ago by the journal Nature. A moveable piece of genetic material called “piggyBac” was discovered and patented by Fraser. The material was used by a team of Canadian and Scottish scientists to “coax” skin cells into a state that appears biologically identical to embryonic stem cells. Dr. Fraser’s research was completed at Notre Dame’s Laboratory of Molecular Virology. Much more information about his work is available on the University of Notre Dame website. Source: University of Notre Dame