Hosted by Nick Guagliardo, David Breault, M.D. PhD, is Principal Faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and a Member of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Faculty

David Breault's research has exploited the fact the mouse telomerase (mTert) is a biomarker for embryonic and tissue stem cells. He has developed a streamlined technique for isolating and characterizing adult stem cells from a variety of tissues using genetically engineered reporter mice. The Breault laboratory is focused on identifying mechanisms underlying tissue homeostasis in self-renewing tissues, such as intestine, adrenal gland, and bone. Specifically, they are pursuing the hypothesis that telomerase expression is a biomarker for self-renewing progenitor/stem cells. Breault's efforts have led to the generation of mTert-reporter mice and the discovery of several populations of slowly cycling tissue stem cells, including an elusive intestinal stem cell. Their ongoing efforts are aimed at characterizing stem cell responses to physiological and pathological stress and age, with the ultimate goal of improving therapeutic treatment options for a wide range of conditions.