The project will be centered around determining gene expression and glycosylation levels of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), prior to cell culture, in an attempt to better understand differentiation,proliferation, and self-renewal as well as optimizing their use for potential therapeutic applications including: bone repair, non-healing ulcers, and critical limb ischemias. Cells derived from human bone marrow will be selectively isolated and used for RNAseq (deep sequencing), glycomics (mass spectrometry) and in vivo studies (in immune deficient NSG mice), in order to help discover the cellular pathways responsible for their distinct function. Normally, MSC are isolated by adhesion to plastic flasks and expansion ex vivo. We aim to better understand the original cells, prior to any manipulation, in order to determine differences for further optimizing their selection, amplification, and function both in vitro and in vivo.