Overview

The Organoid and Tissue Modeling Shared Resource (OTMSR) is an institutional, fee-for-service core facility supporting advanced organoid technologies on campus. The OTMSR provides researchers with access to state-of-the art organoid and gene editing technologies and expert technical support to utilize novel in vitro 3D organoid model systems for basic and translational research.

Currently, the OTMSR provides organoid services to:

• Cell Technologies Shared Resource - UC Cancer Center
• Disease Modeling Core - UC Diabetes Research Center
• Stem Cell Biobank and Disease Modeling Core - Gates Institute
• Enteroid Stem Cell Core - Gastrointestinal and Liver Innate Immunity (Galiip) Transformational grant

What are Organoids?

Organoids are defined as “self-organizing three dimensional (3D) structures grown from stem cells which mimic the in vivo architecture and multi-lineage differentiation of the original tissue.” Organoids can be derived from two types of stem cells: (i) pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) or (ii) adult tissue-derived somatic stem cells.

PSC-derived organoids recapitulate developmental programming and have the potential to form tissue/organ structures through processes that occur during development.

Tissue-derived somatic organoids recapitulate adult tissue repair mechanisms rather than development and in general, only tissues that exhibit some regenerative capacity are amenable to this approach.

Mission

The overall mission of the OTMSR is to facilitate access, generation and usage of novel in vitro mouse and human organoid systems to promote innovative basic and translational research and disease modeling. To help overcome the obstacles faced by basic scientists and clinical researchers who wish to establish these approaches in their labs, we will provide expertise, resources, and training in these start-of-the-art technologies together with standardization for protocols, subsidized reagents and validated organoid lines. This will be achieved in five ways: 

1. Provide access and training in current and emerging organoid technologies for in vitro disease modeling
2. Provide access, training and implementation of genome editing technologies and gene expression systems
3. Maintain and provide access to banked and fully-characterized organoid and PSC lines
4. Implement critical quality control and assurance measures to ensure the validation and authenticity of core-derived resources rigorously meet and exceed emerging NIH guidelines
5. Provide data sharing of all OTMSR-related resources, protocols and technologies to the research community