Organoids

It's not science fiction: UC San Diego researchers are developing human organoids — miniaturized, 3D versions of an organ produced from reprogrammed stem cells in the lab. These models, sometimes called "mini-brains" or "organs-in-a-dish," have allowed scientists to study biological functions, diseases and treatments more realistically and in greater detail.

So far this approach has been used to produce the first direct experimental proof that the Zika virus can cause severe birth defects, to repurpose existing HIV drugs to treat a rare neurological disorder, to study the effects of methadone on developing brains, and to explore what distinguishes us from our Neanderthal ancestors.

Now researchers can even detect preemie baby-like brain waves from brain organoids, and the tiny brains have traveled to and from the International Space Station as part of a study of human development in microgravity.

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