Transgels enable live imaging of parasite infection in caecal models. Watch larvae invade epithelia in real-time & observe mechanisms like syncytial tunnel formation. Huge congrats to super talented @MoritzHofer_ and thanks to Maria Duque-Correa for the fantastic collaboration!

From gastric to colonic tissues: Transgel organoids replicate GI tissue architecture, including stem cell patterning and improved differentiation over time! There seem to be conserved mechanisms for geometry-induced stem cell organization and differentiation across the GI tract.

Bioengineered GI organoids just got an upgrade! Our new Transgel system combines 3D complexity with bilateral accessibility & remarkable observability, enabling advanced studies on tissue dynamics, stem cell niches, and host-pathogen interactions.🔬 👉 https://t.co/OeiSs0ehdO

Join us @Roche's Institute of Human Biology (IHB) as a Scientific Group Leader! Lead innovative research in #HumanModelSystems such as #Organoids. We especially seek applications aligned to our commitment to diversity and inclusion.  More  https://t.co/3uVStARGPR   #TeamIHB #pRED

Please join us in shaping the future of human biology research and help to translate it into real-world applications in pharmaceutical research and development!

Fantastic paper that exemplifies the credo and mission of @IHB_Research: bold and creative young scientists as hands-on leads + projects combining biology, engineering, computation and drug development + extremely close collaboration between multiple research groups! Congrats!!

This work has been led by the brilliant @LFranciscoLM, with invaluable support from @NicoBroguiere, @JakobJLanger, Lucie Tillard, @mike_nikolaev, @CoukosGeorge, and Krisztian Homicsko. 🙏🙏!!

and the identification of immunomodulatory interactions among different components of the tumor microenvironment.

the discovery of a cancer associated fibroblast (CAF)-triggered mechanism driving colorectal cancer invasion,

This system unlocks exciting experimental possibilities, such as the multi-faceted evaluation of drug efficacy, toxicity and resistance in anti-cancer therapies,

We’ve generated long-lived human ‘mini-colons’ that stably integrate cancer cells and their native tumor microenvironment. These are optimized for real-time, high-resolution evaluation of cellular dynamics.

Following our recent breakthrough on mouse mini-intestines for ex vivo tumor development, we asked ourselves: can this technology be applied to cells from cancer patients? We are excited to announce the answer to this question in our latest publication: https://t.co/Uck4EyBXeK

This project was spearheaded by @olga_mitrofan and supported by co-authors @mike_nikolaev, @_xuquan, @NicoBroguiere, Irineja Cubela, @GrayCampLab and Michael Bscheider as a collaborative effort between IHB, Roche pRED and EPFL. Huge thanks to all!!

These bioengineered mini-intestines are a powerful tool for exploratory and translational research. They enable advanced modeling of the intestinal #epithelial barrier for drug testing and capturing the multicellular complexity of gastrointestinal diseases.

This approach enabled the creation of small intestinal tissues and the study of colon function in real time. Mini-colons effectively captured stem cell-targeted cytotoxicity and the rapid epithelial barrier disruption caused by anti-tumor drugs.

These mini-colons mimic the cellular diversity, maturity and patterning of the natural colon. They show #stemcells proliferation restricted to the crypt, the development of highly mature colonocytes, and a thick mucus layer.

Integrating #bioengineering with advancements in #organoids culture, we have generated human #minicolons simulating anatomical architecture of the natural colon with deep crypts and polarized columnar epithelia, exhibiting homeostatic epithelial cell turnover and longevity.

Imagine growing a miniature version of the human intestine in the lab to study gut biology in great detail and test medicines before clinical trials? We are happy to share our latest publication on bioengineered human mini-intestines: https://t.co/0AvDkk9R3S Let’s dive in!

Thanks, this was a lot of fun!!

Congrats @mike_nikolaev 👏🎉!!