Examining developmental processes in cancer organoids I Andreas Bausch and Anna Pastucha, TU Munich

Andreas Bausch explains the research focus on mammary gland organoids grown from primary healthy human tissues in cell culture. The goal is to observe developmental and structure formation processes in these organoids using microscopy techniques.

Anna Pastucha introduces the pancreatic cancer organoid project, which involves growing branched structures suspended in floating collagen matrices within culture media. She explains the imaging challenges posed by this complex 3D system.

The lab uses multiple complementary microscopy systems including standard confocal microscopy (Leica Stellaris) and Mika, which combines epifluorescence and confocal microscopy. This allows switching between low and high-resolution imaging modes with a single click.

For stem cell development projects, researchers use Mika microscopy with stable incubation chamber conditions. The system includes anti-photobleaching and phototoxicity prevention functions to maintain cell viability during extended live-cell imaging.

The research demonstrates organoids' enormous potential for biomedical applications from basic research to drug development and disease modeling. The newly founded Center of Organized Systems integrates biomedical engineers and basic scientists to advance organoid research across multiple application levels.