In the mid-1990s, Nancy Hopkins, a biologist and tenured faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), realized that she had been allocated less lab space than her male colleagues, so she turned to a trusted friend: data. She measured every inch of her lab to irrefutably prove the inequitable distribution of space. Along the way, she teamed up with her fellow women faculty members to address other aspects of gender bias at the institution. In their investigation, they found that senior women faculty felt invisible, were excluded from positions of power, and received fewer resources and rewards than their male counterparts. Their report, published in 1999, was instrumental in bringing about a change in MIT policies to improve the status of women faculty.¹ 

Despite the changing landscape, gender disparity in academia still exists. This is in the spotlight now because March is National Women’s History Month, but I believe that efforts to support women in science should be perpetual, not restricted to a celebratory month or day. However, this occasion presents an excellent opportunity to share the stories of exemplary women, track ongoing progress, and take action to aid and inspire the current and next generation of women scientists. 

At The Scientist, we want to celebrate women in science in all ways. Throughout the month, we will highlight stories that feature women scientists on our social media platforms. For the month of March, we are also accepting nominations of exceptional women scientists—your colleagues, friends, role models, or yourself—through our “Peer Profile” program. Just tell us who we should cover, what they work on, and why you find them so amazing. We look forward to your nominations!

Nominate a woman scientist

Organoids hold the key to unlocking 3D discoveries in disease and development. Whether researchers aim to model organ architecture¹ or replicate tumor microenvironments,² growing and differentiating stem cells into specific organoids starts with choosing the right protocols and reagents.

         

Scientists introduce cytokines and growth factors into culture media to manipulate the signaling pathways involved in organoid formation. Different combinations can be used to culture almost all organoids, including gastric epithelial organoids, liver organoids, pancreatic organoids, and breast organoids. The cytokine mixture required depends on the stem cell source and developmental pathways of the target tissue.³ For example, WENR (Wnt3a/EGF/NOG/RSPO1)¹ is one of the most classical cytokine schemes for intestinal organoid cultures, and this scheme can also be applied for other target tissues.

Wnt signaling governs several aspects of development, including cell fate determination, cell migration and proliferation, and tissue maintenance and regeneration.⁴ In organoid cultures, Wnt signaling helps kickstart tissue formation. Along with epidermal growth factor (EGF), Noggin (NOG), and R-spondin (RSPO1), Wnt allows scientists to culture stem cell-enriched organoids.¹ Other critical components that promote stem cell growth and differentiation in organoid cultures include bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF).³

Researchers can optimize organoid culture growth and consistency with panels of growth factors that are specifically validated for organoids, such as the WENR cytokines developed by Sino Biological. Growth factor panels have reliable bioactivity and batch-to-batch consistency, enabling scientists to dependably grow organoids representative of their desired target tissues.

Learn more about panels of growth factors for organoid culture.

Lauren Drouin is the director of analytical development and the Genomic Medicine Unit at Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease. As a dynamic scientist with unique expertise in current research and industry trends for gene therapies, Drouin is passionate about driving progress within the rare disease field and advancing products from preclinical development into the clinic and beyond.  

In this Science Philosophy in a Flash podcast episode brought to you by Bio-Rad, The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with Drouin to learn more about her interest in adeno-associated virus (AAV) biology, and what motivated her journey from academia to patient-focused analytical development research.

Lauren Drouin, PhD Director, Analytical Development Genomic Medicine Alexion Pharmaceuticals  AstraZeneca Rare Disease

Learn more about Lauren Drouin and developing viral vectors.

Cellular heterogeneity drives many physiological and pathological responses, but conventional analysis methods that sample only in the aggregate can mask signal from rare cell types.^1,2 Achieving single-cell resolution has revolutionized scientists’ understanding of cellular behavior, function, and characterization, helping them advance in many fields.² However, isolating and separating individual cells for downstream single-cell applications can be technically challenging.

     

Numerous techniques for single-cell separation, isolation, and sorting exist, ranging from manual manipulations to high-throughput instruments capable of processing tens of thousands of cells. In all of these, the primary considerations are yield, quality, purity, throughput, and accessibility.² Techniques that rely on manual manipulation, such as limiting dilution, do not require sophisticated instruments, but are inefficient and less accurate. Conversely, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) offers high throughputs, but requires complex instrumentation, can be difficult to master, and applies significant mechanical force upon the cells.²

Microfluidics offers a potential third option to this dichotomy. Microfluidic devices separate cells by passing cellular suspensions through microchannels into distinct chambers, thereby providing throughput and accuracy without exerting mechanical stress upon cells.² While earlier microfluidic devices were complex and highly specialized, newer models are designed with lowering barriers to entry in mind.³ Instruments like the benchtop Uno Single Cell Dispenser™ focus on lower costs, smaller footprints, and greater user-friendliness. None of this comes at the expense of functionality. For example, the Uno can provide 384-well throughput in five minutes with picoliter-level accuracy.⁴ Microfluidic digital dispensing technology can gently isolate viable and healthy cells suitable for a range of downstream applications including mass spectrometry-based single-cell analysis, stem cell libraries, 3D cell research, and cell line development.

Read more about microfluidic digital dispensing technology.