On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., the Keio Organoid Consortium, chaired by Keio University School of Medicine Professor Toshiro Sato and in collaboration with WPI-Bio2Q, hosted a seminar featuring Dr. Jürgen Knoblich at Kitasato Hall on the Keio University Shinanomachi campus.

Jürgen Knoblich, PhD

Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

Dr. Jürgen Knoblich is a German molecular biologist known worldwide as a pioneer in the development of “cerebral organoids” that replicate the development of the human brain.

❶ Development of cerebral organoids:

He developed a groundbreaking technique for differentiating three-dimensional miniature brains (cerebral organoids) in test tubes from human iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) and other sources. This has made it possible to realistically study human-specific brain development processes and brain diseases that were difficult to replicate using conventional animal experiments (such as those involving mice).

❷ Research on Asymmetric Cell Division:

With a background in fruit fly genetics, he elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying “asymmetric cell division,” in which a stem cell divides into two distinct cells. He also discovered that abnormalities in this mechanism can cause brain tumors.

❸ Elucidation of the Pathogenesis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders:

Using the brain organoids they have developed, they are advancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying intractable neurodevelopmental disorders such as microcephaly (a condition characterized by a small brain) and tuberous sclerosis (TSC).