Breakthrough in Research
Until now, most research has used either generalized cell samples or organoids made from just one type of tropical fruit bat, and only from a single organ. But a breakthrough has arrived: a research team led by the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Korea, along with international collaborators, has created the world's most comprehensive bat organoid platform. These "mini-organs" are grown from five common bat species found across Asia and Europe and represent four different organs -- airway, lungs, kidneys, and small intestine.
This is important as more than 75% of new infectious disease originate from animals for example COVID-19 but before this scientists had struggled to study how viruses behave in bats. This new finding lets us explore how zoonotic viruses -- those that jump from animals to humans -- work, in unprecedented detail," said KOO Bon-Kyoung, Director of the IBS Center for Genome Engineering.