Dear 3DbioNet,

Many thanks for the Collaboration Challenge award. I visited Professor Thomas Hartung’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, MD, USA from 8^th to 14 ^th April 2019.

During the visit, Dr Lena Smimova showed me how to culture mini-brain organoids (spheroids) from iPS-derived NPC using a shaker protocol.

I also did one set of my own culture and follow it for 5 days. At the same time, I did immunofluorescence staining for fixed spheroids provided by Dr Smimova. It was an enjoyable and successful trip for our collaboration.

At the moment, I am setting up the culture system at Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) and will compare it with a protocol from Professor Jens Schwamborn at University of Luxembourg by using the Quasi Vivo millifluidic system from Kirkstall Ltd.

I have contacted Simon Butterworth at Kirkstall to arrange delivery the system in the near future.

Sincerely yours,†††††††

Ke Ning

Senior Lecturer in Translational Neuroscience