Can you beleive that? Reporter gene imaging!

I was swayed away knowing about human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) when I was in high school and I think its discovery has dramatically increased the tools available to medical scientists interested in regenerative medicine, however, as we know that things don't seem to be that easy, the direct injection of hESCs, and cells differentiated from hESCs, into living organisms has far been hampered by significant cell death, teratoma formation, and host immune rejection. Understanding the in vivo hESC behavior after transplantation requires novel imaging techniques to longitudinally monitor hESC localization, proliferation, and viability.

I found this amazing 10 minutes video clip from Stanford University School of Medicine in which they shown how in each stem cell, transcription and translation of luciferase into bioactive light-emitter was detected with sensitive, noninvasive instrumentation (CCD cameras from Caliper) directly in alive, sleeping animals.

What more? Just enjoy watching that wonderful clip!