There is a marked disparity between the presumptive benefits of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy and the actual observed outcome in rigorously controlled scientific studies. Therefore, more fundamental research is mandatory to provide proof of concept for current MSC-based therapies. To this end, a state-of-the-art lab was set up focusing on the isolation, characterization, differentiation and cryopreservation of MSC, isolated from different sources (bone marrow, adipose tissue, peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood and Wharton’s jelly) and in different species (horse, dog, sheep, pig and cow). The interdisciplinary research focusses both on the myogenic differentiation of MSC (with as ultimate goal the production of cultured meat) as well as their therapeutic potential to treat orthopedic injuries. By establishing representative in vitro models, the mechanism of action of MSC can be explored while a platform to screen novel therapeutics would become available.