Summary
Published in Small Methods (2025), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Rogler, Teresa S., et al. 3D Quantification of Viral Transduction Efficiency in Living Human Retinal Organoids
3D Quantification of Viral Transduction Efficiency in Living Human Retinal Organoids
Research Overview
Gene-therapy development depends on measuring transduction efficiency in vitro, usually from the global fluorescence of a reporter — which says nothing about individual cells inside living 3D tissue. Flow cytometry gives single-cell readouts but requires dissociation and discards spatial information; immunofluorescence preserves space but requires fixation. Neither allows time-dependent studies of vector delivery.
This work introduces quantitative 3D characterization of viral transduction efficiency in living retinal organoids, combining quantification of gene delivery efficiency with spatial and temporal resolution so the same organoid can be followed as the vector reaches its cells.
Key Discoveries
- Quantifies viral transduction per cell in living retinal organoids without dissociation or fixation
- Preserves spatial information that flow cytometry loses
- Enables time-dependent tracking of vector delivery in the same intact 3D tissue
