Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Single-Cell Resolution Three-Dimensional Imaging of Intact Organoids
Published on: June 5, 2020
Biophysics of organoids
Vanessa Weichselberger1, Gareth Moore2, Sham Tlili3
1Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM (UMR 7288), Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France; European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Barcelona, Dr. Aiguader 88, PRBB Building, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Organoids, 3D stem cell models, are revolutionizing developmental biology and disease research by integrating biophysical and biochemical cues. Understanding the biophysics of organoids offers new avenues for organogenesis and regenerative medicine.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Organoids are 3D in vitro models derived from stem cells, mimicking organ development and physiology.
- They replicate complex biological processes like cell differentiation and tissue organization.
- Organoid development is influenced by both biochemical signals and biophysical factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of physics-based approaches to study organoid development.
- To explore the emerging field of "biophysics of organoids."
- To highlight insights into organogenesis, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine.
Main Methods:
- Mechanical, kinetic, and information-based approaches.
- Statistical methods and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven techniques.
- Analysis of biophysical factors like ECM composition, cell motility, and tissue stiffness.
Main Results:
- Biophysical factors interact with biochemical signals to drive organoid formation and patterning.
- Physics-based approaches provide a framework for understanding multiscale phenomena in organoids.
- Organoid models reveal species-specific developmental variations.
Conclusions:
- The biophysics of organoids is a rapidly growing research area.
- Integrating physics principles enhances our understanding of organoid development and function.
- These insights are crucial for advancing regenerative medicine and disease modeling.
Related Concept Videos
Chemistry of the Cell
Water
The polarity of the water molecule and its resulting hydrogen bonding makes water a unique substance with special properties that are intimately tied to the processes of life. Life originally evolved in an aqueous environment, and most of an organism’s cellular chemistry and metabolism occur inside the aqueous contents of the cell’s cytoplasm. Special properties of water are its high heat capacity and heat of...
Mechanical Protein Functions
Non-equilibrium in the Cell
Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
What is Physical Chemistry?
Physiological Pharmacokinetic Models: Assumption with Protein Binding

