Disclosed is a fully chemically defined, small molecule-mediated, directed differentiation system that promotes differentiation of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells, such as human forms of these stem cell types, to ventricular cardiomyocytes in a highly efficient, reproducible and scalable fashion. Also disclosed is a cost-effective and efficient protocol, or method, for generating cardiomyocytes and a cost-effective and efficient method of maturing cardiomyocytes. The disclosed differentiation system provides a platform to perform large-scale pharmacological screenings and to provide a valuable source of each of cardiac progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes for cell replacement therapies in cardiac repair.
