Soft Matter and Biophysics Seminar: Orly Reiner

Professor Orly Reiner, Department of Molecular Genetics, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science.

“NeuroMorphoChip Organoids Reveal A Novel Mechanism for Microcephaly”

Our study represents a significant advancement in neural organoid technology, focusing on developing a patterned central nervous system (CNS) neural tube organoid from human pluripotent stem cells. Utilizing morphogen gradients within a microfluidic device, termed the “NeuroMorphoChip,” we achieved a highly organized organoid exhibiting characteristic gene expressions of key CNS regions, including the brain, forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord, along the rostral-caudal and dorsal-ventral axes. The orchestrated expression of HOX genes along the neural tube mimics natural developmental processes, leading to the development of the pallium and subpallium during culture progression.

Furthermore, we investigated the genetic basis of microlissencephaly by genome-editing NDE1 knockout human pluripotent stem cells and differentiating them into various brain organoid types. Our findings highlight significant impacts on brain patterning, suggesting a unique mechanism for microcephaly characterized by early brain patterning alterations.