We’ve all heard the phrase “two-dimensional performance.” Usually, it’s a complaint about an actor being unnatural or unconvincing. But the phrase can also apply to cell culture. If it is in two dimensions, cell culture can lack physiological nuance, leaving questions about disease mechanisms and therapeutic responses unanswered. To arrange for subtler, richer performances, consider running cell culture auditions that include organoids and organ-on-a-chip systems. As the July issue of GEN shows, these 3D cell culture systems promise to become bankable stars in drug development.

The July issue also describes the growing popularity of ensemble casts. These are found in single-cell analyses, which are capturing the behaviors of individual cells more effectively though the application of machine learning and other computational technologies. Finally, the July issue is also full of ideas to improve casting calls for CAR-T, synthetic DNA, CRISPR screening, and viral surveillance technologies.