A new technology is redefining the way biologists approach science. Moving beyond simple cell cultures, scientists can now use human cells to create miniature models of organs. Dubbed organoids, these models can emulate any organ in the body. Organoids come closer to replicating the context and complexity of a human body than ever before–opening the door to more effective research for scientists and medical testing for everyone in the future.

In this episode of Stanford Science Podcast, Emily and Josh introduce this emergent technology, and dive into its capabilities, limitations, and future possibilities. Katarina Klett and Julien Roth, PhD students in the Heilshorn Lab in the Stanford Material Science Department, help give context to the current capabilities of organoids and address the potential ethical concerns. If you're an organoid expert or novice, this episode will give you a new appreciation for this interdisciplinary scientific technique.

Articles to give further context on organoids:
https://hsci.harvard.edu/organoids
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01395-z
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-018-0051-9

Image: "Brain Organoid" is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Music: Night Vibes by JBlanked is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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