Advanced In Vitro Models

About

AIM focuses on developing model systems that can create fully functional in vivo-like tissue and/or organs. In this way, we intend to reduce animal experimentation in the future. You will engage with other international students on the importance of AIM and how it can contribute to healthcare and you will gain insight into the novel technologies of tomorrow.

The convergence of science, technology, legislation and extrapolation modelling in Utrecht is highlighted in this week-long course. This programme is comprised of meeting experts, hands-on bench work, modelling and demonstrations. It allows for a high amount of interaction among lecturers, keynote speakers and fellow participants.

Advanced in vitro models (AIM) is a multidisciplinary field that holds much promise for generating innovative technologies for a wide variety of tissues and disorders. AIM focuses on developing model systems that can create fully functional in vivo-like tissue and/or organs. In this way, we intend to reduce animal experimentation in the future. You will engage with other international students on the importance of AIM and how it can contribute to healthcare and you will gain insight into the novel technologies of tomorrow.

In this intensive course you will gain a unique overview of AIM. This field has the ability to recreate all tissues according to good in vitro practice and improve in vitro findings regarding in vivo relevance. This multidisciplinary field incorporates regulatory aspects, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, biomaterials engineering, and in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) science. In addition, it also includes various enabling technologies and clinical application areas, with the ultimate goal of improving existing technologies and reduce animal experimentation. In this interactive course at Masters level, students will learn good in vitro practice, regulatory aspects, (stem) cell biology and technologies, as well as how these models can be translated to in vivo relevance. The course combines lectures and tutorials with hands-on experiments covering organoids and organs-on-a-chip, demonstrations and tours. You also participate in a challenge where you are able to design your own organ-on-a-chip in small groups.

Course leader

Dr. Silvia Mihăilă & Dr. Kerstin Schneeberger

Course aim

In this interactive course at a beginning Master’s level, you’ll learn the best practices of advanced in vitro models, regulatory aspects, (stem) cell biology and technologies for testing medicine and/or substance safety testing as well as how the results can be validated, translated and implemented into human medicine. Our course aim is to create awareness on the potential of human-based physiological models for human health research and replacement of animal testing.

Fee info