OrganoVIR Labs, based in Amsterdam University Medical Centers (location Academic Medical Center (AMC)), is an expert laboratory on virus culture and human 2D and 3D ‘organoid cultures’ for virology.
An ‘organoid’ is a miniature and simplified version of a human organ. An organoid contains the DNA of its donor, which means that it carries the personal characteristics of that donor (such as genetic make-up, age, gender, etc.). This makes them the ideal model to study viral infections in a human context.
Within our labs, we use human organoids to study pathogenesis of human picornaviruses, CMV, HIV and recently SARS-CoV-2.
Team leaders
Katja Wolthers, MD PhD
Katja Wolthers is the founder of the Amsterdam Organoid Center (ORCAU) and clinical virologist working at the Department of Medical Microbiology at the Amsterdam UMC location AMC as a senior staff member. She is the PrincipaI Investigator (PI) of a research group on Molecular Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Human Parechoviruses and Enteroviruses.
Dasja Pajkrt, MD PhD MBA
Dasja Pajkrt is the founder of the Amsterdam Organoid Center (ORCAU), Professor of Viral Pediatric Infectious Diseases, coordinator of two EU: coordinator of two H2020 programs: Organoid for Virus Research (OrganoVIR) and GUT VIrus BRain Axis Technology In OrgaNoid Science (GUTVIBRATIONS), member of the Dutch network Transition animal-free innovations (TPI). She is a member of the Senate of the University of Amsterdam She is the project leader of TKI-PPP (Health Holland) project: Picornavirus and HIV infection using a complex gut-brain organoid model (Focus-on-Virus). Her expertise is in pediatric viral infections, most specifically on cytomegalo-, picornavirus and HIV infections.
Team members
Adithya Sridhar
Assistant Professor
Gerrit Koen
Research Technician
Carlemi Calitz
Postdoc
Renata Vieira de Sa
Postdoc
Nina Johannsson
Research Technician
Eline Freeze
Research Technician
Inés García-Rodríguez
PhD Student
Lance Mulder
PhD Student
Giulia Moreni
PhD Student
Pamela Capendale
PhD Student
Ikrame Aknouch
PhD Student
Dara Satrio
Science Comms Officer
Sylvie Koekkoek
Research Technician
Publications
- Put Some Guts into It: Intestinal Organoid Models to Study Viral InfectionAbstract The knowledge about enteric viral infection has vastly increased… »
- Cerebral Organoids: A Human Model for AAV Capsid Selection and Therapeutic Transgene Efficacy in the BrainAbstract The development of gene therapies for central nervous system… »
- Recombination Analysis of Non-Poliovirus Members of the Enterovirus C Species; Restriction of Recombination Events to Members of the Same 3DPol ClusterAbstract Enteroviruses (EVs) are highly prevalent viruses worldwide. Recombination is… »
- Parechovirus A Pathogenesis and the Enigma of Genotype A-3Abstract Gut organoids are stem cell derived 3D models of… »
- Parechovirus A Pathogenesis and the Enigma of Genotype A-3Abstract Parechovirus A is a species in the Parechovirus genus… »
- High frequency and diversity of Parechovirus A in a cohort of Malawian childrenAbstract Parechoviruses (PeVs) are highly prevalent viruses worldwide. Over the… »