Organ_izing the cells

3D cell culture i.e. the art of organ-izing cells by cultivating them in configurations that more closely mimic the in-vivo environment is widely considered as the main route towards more physiologically relevant in vitro models. Yet providing simple, large scale and standardized solutions remains a key challenge for the widespread adoption of such cell-based models in laboratories and later in the pharmaceutical industry. Pioneers in the field of 3D brain cultures undoubtedly demonstrated the huge potential of such models in neuroscience. They also point out that novel tools and materials are required to advance their maturation (complexity) and scalability. This field of research is growing rapidly, mainly fueled by the establishing human Induced Pluripotent Stem cell technology. By joining our means and efforts in a joint research laboratory with the company Alvéole, we have established a tight research collaboration and an experienced innovation structure in the field of in vitro model design and experimentation. Together we aim at applying our patented hydrogel structuration and protein patterning toolbox to develop standardized in vitro models of human brain tissues. Such in vitro models, especially when their size is kept at the microscale, have the capacity to be observed and quantified by state of the art high resolution fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy. A second aim of our research is to develop specific tools and methods to enable high troughput imaging of such human microtissues. This novel and exciting avenue to dissect fundamental mechanisms of human brain physiology in vitro will first be applied to study the dynamic of synaptic circuitry in collaboration with the other teams from IINS.