Junior Research Group Brain Development and Evolution

The neocortex occupies most of the brain surface in humans and is usually associated with the high cognitive abilities of primates. The Junior Research Group "Brain Development and Evolution" investigates the development and evolution of the neocortex in different primate species. We investigate this with the help of brain organoids. These three-dimensional tissue-like structures, only a few millimeter in size, are produced from pluripotent stem cells and mimic many features of the developing neocortex. In addition to brain organoids, we use other techniques such as transcriptome analysis, electroporation, CRISPR/Cas9, immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy.