Retroviral transduction of “in vitro” differentiating Tal-1−/− and Runx1−/− ESCs should be a useful experimental tool to probe selected genes for activities in the generation of hematopoietic progenitors “in vitro”, and to assess the potential transforming activities in hematopoiesis of mutant forms of Tal-1 and Runx1 from acute myeloid leukemia and related tumors. The gene discussed is TAL1; the disease is acute myeloid leukemia.