Building Life: Embryos to Organs

The earliest stages of human development feature a series of events critical for ongoing pregnancy. Parental DNA from the egg and sperm unify and the embryo activates its own genetic program. Initially identical, embryonic cells start differentiating – those on the outside specialize to become the placenta whereas those on the inside are destined to become the future baby. The embryo interacts with maternal tissue and implants deep into the uterine lining. The first two weeks of human development are a time window full of potential, failure and unanswered questions

Human organs are complicated, and their diseases even more so. To understand how they work, we need something we can study in the lab, however replicating their complexity is not easy. Fortunately, through power of stem cells, we can now use human tissue samples to grow realistic 3D structures known as ‘organoids’. My work involves growing these cultures from intestinal biopsies donated by children with inflammatory bowel disease. Using genetic engineering techniques, we hope to uncover the molecular mis-wiring of disease and help develop new treatments.