Mammalian cells have a long history of application in medicine from viral vaccine production, through to antibody and recombinant protein synthesis. More recent advances in tissue engineering and the understanding of stem cell biology have opened new avenues for treatment of chronic diseases and injury. This course aims to provide a background in applied mammalian cell physiology and then focus on the new and exciting field of stem cell biology from both a fundamental and applied perspective. In addition, the ethical issues surrounding the use of human tissues, and adult and embryonic stem cells are explored.