Last week the MicroOrganoLab had the pleasure of joining the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) in the beautiful city of Montréal, Canada. It was a week jam-packed with inspiring science! The meeting brought researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals together from around the world to share their latest discoveries, discuss exciting upcoming clinical trials, and openly adress the challenges that the field continues to face.
Our postdoc researcher, Dr. Fulya Ersoy, represented the MicroOrganoLab, and presented a fascinating poster, ‚Electrophyiological Profiling of IPSC-Derived Neurospheres using a Novel NeuroMPS with Integrated Electrodes‘. In this work, she developed a complex Brain-on-a-Chip platform with integrated capped microelectrodes for the study of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory processes that 2D in vitro and animal experiments struggle to recapitulate. This generated many interesting conversations around the importance of novel 3D in vitro models within the field of stem cell research and neurology.
Emphasized throughout the conference was the idea that stem cell research is one of the most powerful tools that we have to better understand human physiology. Stem cell research has come a long way from its origination, and it is now here to stay. Moving forward, stem cells are one of the most promising avenues of research and development in clinical, academic, and industrial settings.
Regulations with regards to stem cell research was also heavily touched on. As the science rapidly advances, many countries are continuously updating their regulatory frameworks. Clear communication with the public is essential in building the trust in stem cell technologies on a global scale. Regulations are a necesity in moving forward in an ethical and responsible manner.
Some of the most interesting talks we heard discussed stem cell research in microgravity! This has the potential to be a complete game-changer. This field has been gaining momentum quickly in the last few years, and it has been fascinating to hear about the exciting new possibilities.
The ISSCR did an incredible job of organizing and bringing together the global community in Montréal this past week, and we are looking forward to joining an San Fransisco next year!
