HCA | Organoid

The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) is descriptive by definition, as it seeks to map all cells in the human body. Yet its goal of “understanding fundamental human biological processes and diagnosing, monitoring, and treating disease” (HCA Whitepaper) depends on our ability to draw functional/causal/mechanistic conclusions relevant to human diseases. Personalized organoid technology aptly fills this gap, as it makes human tissue amenable to functional studies and faithful disease modeling in vitro. This project will firmly establish a "Human Organoid Atlas" within the HCA. Initially focusing on two organs (colon and brain: 100 persons each) additional organs will be included as pilot studies with organoids derived from up to 20 individuals in total.