GEN Magazine

Volume 42, Issue No. 11, November 2022

Nowadays, the most interesting scientific pursuits face a common challenge: the need to grapple with innumerable contingencies. In neuroscience, these contingencies are neurons. Their numbers are so great, their connections are so varied, and their behaviors are so delicately balanced that we may never truly “know” how they all work together—especially since physical access to living human brains is, well, limited. What to do? Well, we can resort to using models. Currently, the most advanced models of the brain are digital representations that rely on artificial intelligence. But other, more physical representations are becoming possible. These are neural organoids. No mere lumps of prototissue, neural organoids incorporate cells of distinct types that form multicellular structures and interact in realistic ways, expanding opportunities for scientists to study developmental processes, expose disease mechanisms, and evaluate new therapies. To learn more about these opportunities, read this month’s GEN, which also addresses “contingencies” such as lipids, nucleases, immune interactions, and bioprocessing conditions.

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Website Content from This Issue

Neural Organoids Making Connections, Getting Real

Brain Organoids

Lipid Nanoparticles Deliver for mRNA Vaccines

mRNA in Cell Translation

Lipidomic Profiling Informs Study of Metabolism-Related Diseases

Measures of familiar lipids and lipid-containing nanostructures already inform healthcare. For example, high levels of low-density lipoprotein, low levels of high-density lipoprotein, and high levels of triglyceride are among the most common risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Yet comprehensive lipid surveys have been impractical, frustrating researchers interested in finding subtle (but important) connections between the lipidome and health. Fortunately, technologies such as liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry are beginning to expose the lipidome to close study. [JUAN GAERTNER / Science Photo Library / Getty Images]

Harnessing Cell Therapy’s Cancer-Killing and Tissue-Reviving Potential

Brainstorm NurOwn Cells

Bioanalysis Considerations for CAR T-Cell Therapies

CAR T cell immunotherapy

Mining (and Refining) the Stuff of Gene Editing Tools

CRISPR gene editing

In Biomanufacturing, Integration and Intensification Go Hand in Hand

Vertical Pathway Timeline Direction Infographic

Uncovering Proteomic Patterns One Cell at a Time

3D rendered illustration of multiple universes in multiverse

Switching Biologics from IV to SQ Routes

Comera Team at Bioprocessing Summit 2022

Predictive Cell Therapy Potency Assays

T cells attacking cancer cells

Engineered Enzymes Advance mRNA Therapeutics

Ribonucleic acid strand

New mRNA Capping Enzyme Expands Possibilities for Improvements of Therapeutic and Vaccine Manufacturing Workflows

SynapseWeb

SynnapseWeb

ModelDB

ModelDB

OrthoVenn2

CRISPick

CRISPick

Multi-Column Chromatography for Downstream Process Intensification

TosohBio

New Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometers

shimadzu

Cell Culture Plate

SARSTEDT

High-Throughput Platform for Synthetic Biology Workflows

Codex_DNA

Gene Delivery AAV Vector Exploits Cell-Penetrating Peptide to Better Reach CNS

Test tube with DNA

Illumina Reveals New High-Throughput Instrument, NovaSeq X

Can Graphite Bio Realize the Promise of CRISPR Gene Editing to Develop One-Time Cures?

Graphite Bio