Human stem cells offer a source of renewable tissue that can be used for basic research, drug discovery, and cell replacement therapies. The use of such tissues is likely to impact on the research into pharmaceuticals in the short to medium whilst therapeutic applications are more longer term ventures. This symposium looks at some of the enabling technology currently under development that involves improving the manner by which stem cells are grown, differentiated and used for particular research applications. The symposium will be of interest to academics and industrialists with interests in stem cell biology and its in vitro applications.