‘The brain is the most complex object in the known universe’. Like a snapshot of a star at the nebula stage of its life cycle, the singular rosette (SR) captures a hallmark structure of early brain development and establishes the blueprint that will ultimately determine the diverse neuronal populations that populate the human brain. As such, it has the power to reshape the understanding of our fantastic brain and unveil disease mechanisms like never
before.
reNEW research
In the Neural Stem Cell Lab at reNEW Melbourne, we differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from patients and healthy donors into cortical neurons. Unlike conventional in vitro differentiation models, including brain organoids, which generate multiple rosettes, the SR mirrors early developmental processes in a simplified and controlled setting. This approach enables us to investigate how the human brain is built and uncover what happens when this process takes an unexpected path.
Image description
Image of an iPSC-derived SR. The circular lumen at its centre, surrounded by the radially distributed neural progenitor cells, provides an insight into a healthy developing brain.
Credits
Dr Serena Viventi, Postdoc, Velasco Lab, reNEW Melbourne.
