Bioengineering of human intestinal stem cells and organoid 3D culture systems for tissue regeneration and drug discovery

In a healthy gut, epithelial tissue homeostasis is underpinned by a population of adult stem cells that possess multipotency and self-renewal. Adult stem cells can also regenerate damaged tissues in response to cellular stress thereby restoring organ homeostasis and preventing disease. Hence, there is intense interest in understanding the molecular, biochemical, cellular and mechanical regulation of adult stem cells. The emergence of 3D organoid culture systems promises unique insights into the regulation of stem cell biology. This project aims to develop fully-defined synthetic and optimisable microgel systems for the culture of intestinal stem cells and expansion into 3D cultured organoids. This system will be used to investigate the nature and influence of mechanotransduction and biochemical signals on intestinal stem cell biology and the development of the 3D organoids.
This project builds on recent in-house successes in the fabrication of microbeads and the development of novel cellulose-based hydrogels and intestinal 3D organoid culture system.