Biology subjects

Schweiger, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Schweiger, H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Servo-Actuated 3D-Printed Disposable Microvalves for Automated, Scalable Organoid Culture in Standard Incubators

Automation of organoid and cell culture processes is essential for achieving scalable and standardized experimentation in regenerative medicine and stem cell research. However, existing microfluidic platforms often rely on complex setups, limiting their integration within standard incubator environments. To address these challenges, we developed a compact, scalable multi-well platform featuring 3D-printed, servo-actuated disposable microvalves for fully automated media and drug exchange. This design eliminates the need for external pressure sources and control channels, providing a simplified and cost-effective solution for organoid culture. The platform integrates an internet-connected microscopy module with a motorized XYZ stage, allowing continuous, real-time imaging of individual wells directly within the incubator. It supports precise and reliable fluid handling under physiological conditions, improving throughput, reproducibility, and accessibility. We validate the platform through bench-top testing and in both mouse and human organoid models. Morphological analysis, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and qPCR demonstrate comparable viability, growth, and gene expression profiles between automated and manual culture conditions. These results establish a robust and scalable framework for fully automated organoid culture, offering a simplified and accessible alternative to conventional microfluidic systems with broad applications in regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and scalable biological screening. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=101 SRC="FIGDIR/small/732526v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (42K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@10297f1org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1458d48org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@13e7eeeorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ff4e5c_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

Defects in the DNA Damage Response of Patient-derived Endometriosis Stromal Cells

With each menstrual cycle, endometrial cells rapidly proliferate and decidualize in preparation for pregnancy. Such rapid proliferation generates replication stress and results in DNA damage with irreparable cells undergoing senescence. Here, we examine the DNA damage response (DDR) of patient-derived stromal cell lines from menstrual effluent (MenSC) of healthy donors and donors with endometriosis. We found that proliferating MenSCs from endometriosis patients (Endo) have a defective DDR that is also present when these cells reach confluence. In G1, these cells contain more 53BP1-nuclear bodies (NBs) and are less senescent than healthy samples. We also treated with hydroxyurea (Hu) to generate replication stress and found that Endo MenSCs responded to this treatment by activating the DDR and generating more 53BP1-NBs. We examined the MRN complex, upstream of the ATM-dependent DDR. Hu treatment of our cell lines resulted in downregulation of all genes encoding the MRN complex, and RAD50 and NBS1 proteins. In a scRNA-seq dataset of endometriosis stromal tissue, we also identified downregulation of RAD50 and NBS1. To evaluate the growth potential of MenSCs, we decidualized cells after Hu treatment and then replated them in growing medium. Untreated endometriosis MenSCs formed more colonies than healthy MenSCs; neither sample type formed colonies after Hu treatment. Together, our studies suggest that endometriosis MenSCs have a defective DDR that may be exploited therapeutically.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Incubator-Free Organoid Culture in a Sealed Recirculatory System

Discovery in human biology is pivoting toward high-dimensional computational analysis of 3D in vitro models, but this progress is limited by reliance on conventional cell culture techniques. Realism and data collection are hindered by the environmental instabilities and accessibility constraints of standard incubators. We introduce an automated, sealed recirculatory system that eliminates these barriers, enabling unconstrained instrument integration and infrastructure-independent scalability. By employing gas-tight sealing, a liquid-phase gas buffer and a non-porous plastic gas exchanger, our technology maintains biological stability without the compromises of open-air vessels. This design eliminates the need for CO2 incubators and prevents the evaporative drift that typically plagues conventional open-culture vessels. Operating on the benchtop outside the cell culture suite, we demonstrate that our system supports continuous, multi-week live imaging of vascular organoids while maintaining metabolic viability, structural fidelity and electrophysiological activity in brain organoids comparable to traditional in-incubator cultures. TeaserA sealed benchtop device enables data-rich organoid culture beyond the constraints of the cell culture laboratory.

bioengineering↗