MADISON, Wis. -- It was all about stem cells on Sunday, as dozens of scientists and researchers took part in an educational seminar about the future of regenerative medicine.

Members of the public attended Lab on the Lake, a pre-conference all-day pubic event and festival Sunday, held at the Pyle Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The World Stem Cell Summit is being held in Madison on Monday and Tuesday.

"What we want to tell people is where stem cells come from, what they are used for," said Dr. Rupa Shevde, senior scientist with the WiCell Research Institute.

Research institutes like WiCell are taking a hands-on approach to stem cell education.

"They will get to actually see stem cells under the microscope," said Shevde.

"This is a great opportunity to see what the science is," said Ron Kaplan, who attended the seminar.

Those attending also heard from scientists who are currently using stem cells to find a cure for disease and illness.

"This is the animal study, so that is one of the first steps," said UW associate scientist Dr. Masatoshi Suzuki, who recently led a study that found the use of adult stem cells slowed the progression of the neurodegenerative disease ALS in rats.

"The idea is to try to protect the progression of the motor dysfunction, loss of the motor function, movement," he said.

Advocacy groups like Wisconsin Stem Cell Now were present to educate people on ethical concerns.

"This tells us that researchers are on the right track," said Ed Fallone, president of Wisconsin Stem Cell Now, Inc. "The progress of the research has been slowed because there is a lot of misunderstanding fear about what stem cell research is."