What Brain Organoids in Space Teach us about Human Health

Image credit: The Scientist 

Stranger than fiction: in this podcast from The Scientist Speaks, hear how sending 3D miniature brains – known as brain organoids – into outer space can help improve human health.

The episode, “Organoids in Space: The Next Frontier”, features a conversation with Professor Alysson Muotri, Director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine’s Stem Cell Program at the University of California, San Diego.

“… in 2008 there is a revolutionary paper to show us that if you start differentiating the stem cells in a three-dimensional fashion, they will self-organise in a form what we call know a brain organoid,” said Professor Muotri.

“The cells will start migrating and forming a tissue that resembles from an anatomical perspective the developing human brain.”

In studying how the 3D organoids respond to space and the ageing process facilitated by such a mission, he said researchers can learn more about the impact of a microgravity environment for the brain’s cellular and molecular biology.

Download the podcast via The Scientist Speaks to learn more.