Feed: Lifestyle | The Guardian
Posted on: Thursday, January 6, 2022 4:04 PM
Author: Natalie Grover
Subject: Stem cell research: meet the scientist growing 'mini guts' in her lab
Vivian Li, group leader of the stem cell and cancer biology lab at the Francis Crick Institute, talks tumours, how she aims to target them – and why female researchers need to aim big Vivian Li likes to grow things. Apart from cultivating vegetables and caring for her chickens, she's been nurturing "mini-organs" – tiny versions of organs derived from a patient's own stem cells – in her lab at the Francis Crick Institute in London. These cultures, known as organoids, mimic the way the tissues of a specific organ behave so that scientists can try to unravel the evolution of diseases, carry out drug research and refine personalised medicine. |