If the idea of having human cells growing in a dish already sounds exciting, you might want to sit down for this talk. For a couple of years now, scientists have been able to grow mini-organs in labs. Mini stomachs, kidneys, livers, and yes, even mini brains. These are called organoids: 3D structures with multiple cell types that resemble (in structure and in function) the real organs in your body. They are currently being used by scientists to study different diseases and possible treatments. Organoids are usually derived from human stem cells, which means they maintain their genetic material, so we can also explore genetic diseases and even genetically engineer specific mutations of interest. We live in a time when genetically engineered lab-grown mini-brains are a cool, and slightly spooky, reality.
So tell your family!! Tell your friends!! We hope to see you there!!
Born and raised in Curitiba, Brazil, Thiago Arzua now pursues his Ph.D. in neuroscience at the Medical College of Wisconsin. His doctoral research focuses on disease modeling during early neurodevelopment, for conditions such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Anesthetic-Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity. One of the main models used in his lab is cerebral organoids or mini-brains.
