OrganoVIR Labs

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.