Project 1: Single-Rosette derived Cortical Organoids for investigating human-specific aspects of cortical development and function.
Seed Funding: Utah Neuroscience Initiative
We have developed a new method for generating cortical organoids from a single iPSC-derived neural rosette. Single-Rosette derived Cortical Organoids (SRCOs) grow large in suspension culture, reaching 4-5 mm in diameter by four months while maintaining a single internal lumen (ventricle-like structure). SRCOs consist of different neuronal cell types, including cortical neural progenitors, deep and superficial cortical excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and pericytes in three-dimensional organization around the lumen. The goal of this project is to unbiasedly characterize the molecular identities, developmental trajectories, and physiological properties of cells in SRCOs using single-cell RNA-sequencing, bioinformatics, and electrophysiology.