Create2Solve grant

December 6, 2023

In May 2023, LymphChip organized Helpathon #8 asking help to find animal-free alternatives for serum and Matrigel. As a direct result of this Helpathon, an application was submitted to the Create2Solve Phase 1 call of ZonMw to optimize and standardize methods to produce serum and Matrigel free iPSC derived immune competent intestine: Immuno-Gut.

Immuno-Gut got granted and the aim is to develop methods and carry out an and inter-laboratory validation study to obtain robust data for animal free production of immune competent iPSC derived intestine organoids. In Phase 1 products will be tested which do not contain Matrigel and FCS. The most promising, and where possible, totally xeno-free products will be selected for further validation in an inter-laboratory study in Phase 2.

Sue Gibbs and Valeria Orlova with help from BioTechne, Miltenyi, Stem Cell Technologies, three companies that participated in the Helpathon as well as NCardia will work together in Phase 1.

For more information see: https://www.zonmw.nl/en/news/6-project-groups-take-challenges-develop-animal-free-innovations

More news

Webinars Fluigent

February 16, 2026

Following the development of an application note developed in collaboration with the Leiden Organ-on-Chip Center, Fluigent will host a webinar on the topic of flow in Organ-on-Chip models and vascular in vitro modeling. Application note authors Dr. Valeria Orlova and Dr. Dhanesh Kasi from the LUMC will share their insights into vessel-on-chip modelling under dynamic flow conditions, with a […]

Application Note Fluigent

January 27, 2026

Flow conditions and a stable well-defined flow direction are important to culture in vivo-like endothelial cells over time that maintain their organization and function. With help of Dhanesh Khasi, Hanna Lammertse and Valeria Orlova, an application note was put together by Fluigent describing the proper conditions for hiPSCs-derived vascular organ-on-chip model under unidirectional controlled flow: https://www.fluigent.com/resources-support/expertise/application-notes/hipscs-derived-vascular-organ-on-chip

Strategic Workshops Catalyze

January 20, 2026

As part of our aim to identify opportunities for valorization, Catalyze gave two Strategic Workshops on January 20. The first workshop was aimed at LymphChip PIs and their senior colleagues and concentrated on the first steps to translate a (scientific) innovation/tool into a marketable product. In the second workshop options for future funding for LymphChip […]