Call for Papers | Special Issue on Protocols for Organoid Research
Aims
Organoids are three-dimensional and self-organizing models that recapitulate certain aspects of the architecture, cellular diversity, and functions of human tissues. They bridge the gap between traditional cell culture and in vivo studies, being valuable tools for conducting health and disease-related research. As organoid research develops, its continued impact will depend on the reproducibility and scalability of associated experimental methods. In an effort to address protocol variability and mitigate the technical complexity of integrating organoids with advanced readouts, Bio-protocol will publish a special issue dedicated to organoid research in 2027.
Scope
This special issue aims to address key areas in organoid research, including, but not limited to:
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Assembloids: Combining different organoid models to investigate multi-tissue interactions or complex neural circuits.
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Cancer: Patient- and lab-derived tumor organoid models for biobanking, drug screening, co-culture, and translational applications.
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Development: Embryoids, gastruloids, and 3D-tissue models for studies of early mammalian development.
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Immunology: Immune-related and immune-integrated organoid models.
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Neural development and disease: Neural organoids of the central and peripheral nervous system and retinal organoids, modeling development and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Reproductive biology: Endometrial, placental, testicular, and ovarian organoids, for studies of fertility, pregnancy, and disease
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Tissue research and cellular heterogeneity: Modeling tissue microenvironments, extracellular matrix, and mechanobiology.
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Tools: Applications using defined hydrogels and biomaterials, bioprinting, and microfluidic organ-on-chip platforms; analysis via live imaging, spatial-omics workflows, single-cell and multi-omics integration, and high-throughput perturbation screens.
We welcome step-by-step, reproducible protocols with detailed validation data, including significant improvements to existing methods, as well as protocol-focused reviews that discuss comparisons of published methods and best practices.
Submission guidelines
Special issue editors
Jessica Davis Ph.D., Senior Technical Officer, University College Dublin
Samantha Haller Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Corning Inc
Wendy Leanne Hempstock Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Shizuoka
Philipp Wörsdörfer Ph.D., Professor, University of Würzburg
Anca Flavia Savulescu Ph.D., Assistant Managing Editor, Bio-protocol; Honorary Research Affiliate, University of Cape Town
Contact
About the Bio-protocol journal
Established in 2011 by a group of postdoctoral researchers at Stanford University,
Bio-protocol is a peer-reviewed, open-access protocol journal. Its mission is to make life science research more reproducible by publishing high-quality, step-by-step protocols.
Bio-protocol has published over 5,500 protocols authored by more than 20,000 scientists worldwide.
Bio-protocol editorial and reviewing boards consist mostly of postdocs and junior faculty members. These early-career life science researchers, who actively and routinely design, conduct, and supervise lab experiments, are well-positioned to assess the quality and clarity of protocols.
Bio-protocol articles are listed in PubMed Central and indexed in Web of Science (ESCI) and DOAJ.
Bio-protocol has built tight collaborations with several high-profile research journals (e.g.,
eLife and
Journal of Biological Chemistry) to advance our mutual goal of making scientific literature more reproducible.