Use of a super-hydrophobic microbioreactor to generate and boost pancreatic mini-organoids

Abstract

Cell remarkable ability to self-organize and rearrange in functional organoids has been greatly boosted by the recent advances in 3-D culture technologies and materials. This approach can be presently applied to model human organ development and function “in a dish” and to predict drug response in a patient specific fashion. Here we describe a protocol that allows for the derivation of functional pancreatic mini-organoids from skin biopsies. Cells are suspended in a drop of medium and encapsulated with hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powder particles, to form microbioreactors defined as “Liquid Marbles,” that stimulate cell coalescence and 3-D aggregation. The PTFE shell ensures an optimal gas exchange between the interior liquid and the surrounding environment. It also makes it possible to scale down experiments and work in smaller volumes and is therefore amenable for higher throughput applications.