Human Organoid Innovation Hub

The Human Organoid Innovation Hub (HOIH) is a Snyder Institute core facility with a vision of advancing cutting-edge research utilizing organoid systems. Our mission is to leverage patient tissue and induced pluripotent stem cell technology to drive precision medicine.

The HOIH provides all the necessary training and resources to grow human and mouse 3D and 2D organoid systems and provides expertise in designing and executing experiments using this model system.

Beyond this, the HOIH constantly strives to test and develop new organoid protocols and provide the latest organoid innovation and technology to serve our research community. This facility will support each user by providing organoid samples and collaborating on research endeavours.

Continuous development

of novel organoid models from diverse tissue sources and applications

Consistent quality control

and characterization of current organoid inventory and procedures

Long-term project support

to overcome and adapt to unique experimental demands of users

Biopsy-derived Organoid Models

Human 3D organoids and 2D monolayers - derived from small intestine and colon of healthy donors and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)
Organoid co-culture system - Integration of organoids with immune cells, mesenchymal stroma cells (MSCs), etc., to model complex cellular interaction
Air-liquid-interface (ALI) intestinal monolayers (in development)
Apical-out intestinal organoids
Gut-on-a-Chip (in development)
Primary 3D Human nasal organoids/ALI (in development)
Mouse small intestine and colon 3D organoids and monolayers (training only)

Services

Consultation Services

Organoid project/experiment design/troubleshooting
Protocol sharing
Letter of support for grant applications
iPSC reprogramming and differentiation strategy consultation

Organoid Culture Services

Healthy and diseased human intestinal 3D organoids and 2D monolayers
Generation of mouse organoids (special request only)
Human and mouse media
Basal Membrane Extract (e.g. Matrigel, Cultrex)
Media Supplements

Experimental Services

Pilot/feasibility/revision experiments

iPSC-derived Cells/Organoid Models

Reprogramming of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals or patients into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)
Generation of iPSC-derived macrophages
Generation of iPSC-derived kidney organoids
Generation of iPSC-derived intestinal and colonic organoids
Generation of iPSC-derived bone marrow organoids (in development)

Training

Human and mouse organoid isolation
Human and mouse organoid maintenance (feeding, passaging, and freezing)
Human and mouse monolayer seeding
Immunofluorescence preparation and imaging (in collaboration with the Live Cell Imaging)
RNA/DNA/protein isolation for downstream applications
iPSC culture maintenance (feeding, passaging, and freezing)

We would like to thank our funding sources that make this facility possible, including the Cumming Medical Research Fund and the office of the Vice President Research, University of Calgary. We would also like to thank the health care professionals and patients who make this work possible.

Get Started with the HOIH

Contact us today!
hoih@ucalgary.ca

Policies and Procedures

Lab: HSC 2870/2830/1612
Office: HSC 2824/1685

Chung H, Rahmani W, Sinha S, Imanzadeh A, Pun A, Arora R, Jaffer A, Biernaskie J, Chun J. Nephron progenitor fate is modulated by angiotensin type 1 receptor signaling in human kidney organoids. Stem Cells. 2025 Mar 20. https://doi.org/10.1093/stmcls/sxaf012
Gutierrez MW, van Tilburg Bernardes E, Ren E, Kalbfleisch KN, Day M, Lameu EL, Glatthardt T, Mercer EM, Sharma S, Zhang H, Al-Azawy A, Chleilat F, Hirota SA, Reimer RA, Arrieta MC. Early-life gut mycobiome core species modulate metabolic health in mice. Nat Communications. 2025 Feb 8;16,1467. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56743-8
Shin J, Chung H, Kumar H, Meadows K, Park S, Chun J, Kim K. 3D bioprinting of human iPSC-Derived kidney organoids using a low-cost, high-throughput customizable 3D bioprinting system. Bioprinting. 2024 Mar 8;38:e00337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bprint.2024.e00337
Chojnacki AK, Krishnan SN, Jijon H, Shutt TE, Colarusso P, McKay DM. Tissue imaging reveals disruption of epithelial mitochondrial networks and loss of mitochondria-associated cytochrome-C in inflamed human and murine colon. Mitochondrion. 2023 Jan;68:44-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mito.2022.10.004
Dvořák Z, Kopp F, Costello CM, Kemp JS, Li H, Vrzalová A, Štěpánková M, Bartoňková I, Jiskrová E, Poulíková K, Vyhlídalová B. Targeting the pregnane X receptor using microbial metabolite mimicry. EMBO Molecular Medicine. 2020 Mar 10;12(4):e11621. https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201911621
Fernando EH, Dicay M, Stahl M, Gordon MH, Vegso A, Baggio C, Alston L, Lopes F, Baker K, Hirota S, McKay DM. A simple, cost-effective method for generating murine colonic 3D enteroids and 2D monolayers for studies of primary epithelial cell function. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2017 Nov 1;313(5):G467-75. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00152.2017

Dr. Simon Hirota, PhD

Professor & Associate Dean Research (Infrastructure)
Dept. of Physiology & Pharmacology
Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases
shirota@ucalgary.ca