BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Model Brains Bettered

Quicker and cheaper method for growing brain 'organoids' in the lab

10 October 2018

Model Brains Bettered

Analysing the physiology and pathology of the human brain would be far easier if it were possible to remove parts of the living organ for study. But since this is largely speaking not possible, scientists have come up with the next best thing – model brains grown from human cells in culture. A slice of one such brain organoid is pictured. These brains-in-dishes are valuable research tools for neuroscientists, but they are time-consuming to produce. Human cells taken from an accessible part of the body, such as skin, must first be converted into pluripotent stem cells before being differentiated into neurons. Now, however, researchers have developed a method for switching cells directly without the need for the stem cell step. With fewer manipulations, researchers will be able to produce organoids more quickly and cheaply, and therefore get on with the business of brain science more efficiently.

Written by Ruth Williams

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.