Mapping Stem Cell Maturation in a Multi-Organ Endoderm Pediatric Cell Atlas

This project will expand the previous multi-organ fetal endoderm atlas to develop a temporally resolved atlas of endoderm organs at the beginning of life. The team will sample an extensive pre-existing biobank, and collect new tissues (small and large intestine and liver) from ancestrally diverse live births beginning at 24 weeks post conception (in the case of prematurely born infants) through two years, and carry out single-cell or single nucleus genomic profiling.

Using single-cell sequencing data, researchers will integrate organ specific stem cell and tissue maturation across time, and use iterative immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and in silico spatial modeling to support and validate these findings. This study will test hypotheses aimed at improving the complexity and maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived organoid models, which are essential for modeling human organ homeostasis and pediatric diseases.