An On-Chip Method for Long-Term Growth and Real-Time Imaging of Brain Organoids

Abstract

Brain organoids are an emerging technique for studying human neurodevelopment in vitro, with biomedical implications. However, three-dimensional tissue culture poses several challenges, including lack of nutrient exchange at the organoid core and limited imaging accessibility of whole organoids. Here we present a method for culturing organoids in a micro-fabricated device that enables in situ real-time imaging over weeks with efficient nutrient exchange by diffusion. Our on-chip approach offers a means for studying the dynamics of organoid development, cell differentiation, cell cycle, and motion. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.