STICHTING HUBRECHT ORGANOID TECHNOLOGY

Their core work

HUB (Hubrecht Organoid Technology) is a Dutch foundation specializing in organoid technology — growing miniature, simplified versions of human organs in the lab for research and drug testing. They develop and apply patient-derived organoids across multiple tissue types (colon, brain, liver, pancreas) combined with advanced single-cell sequencing and transcriptomics to study disease mechanisms and therapeutic responses. Their work directly supports personalized medicine, particularly for rare diseases like cystic fibrosis and for understanding cancer drug resistance at the single-cell level.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

HUB entered H2020 in 2018 with a clear clinical application focus — using intestinal organoids as a functional assay for personalized cystic fibrosis treatment. By 2020-2021, the scope broadened considerably: they moved into multi-tissue organoid platforms (colon, brain, liver, pancreas) and adopted advanced single-cell multi-omics techniques including spatial transcriptomics and epigenomics. The trajectory shows a shift from disease-specific organoid testing toward becoming a broader platform provider for human tissue modeling and single-cell characterization.

HUB is evolving from a disease-focused organoid lab into a multi-tissue, multi-omics platform provider — expect them to seek projects combining organoids with spatial biology and cancer precision medicine.

How they like to work

HUB operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating, which positions them as a specialist technology contributor brought in for their organoid and single-cell expertise. With 34 unique partners across 13 countries in just 3 projects, they work in large research consortia rather than small focused teams. This pattern suggests they are a sought-after partner whose organoid platform adds value to ambitious multi-center studies.

Despite only 3 projects, HUB has built a notably wide network of 34 consortium partners across 13 countries, indicating involvement in large pan-European research actions. Their Netherlands base connects them into the strong Dutch life sciences ecosystem around Utrecht.

What sets them apart

HUB sits at the intersection of organoid technology and single-cell multi-omics — two of the fastest-growing fields in biomedical research. Unlike academic labs that develop organoids as a side activity, HUB is a dedicated foundation built around organoid technology, which means partners get deep, focused expertise rather than a generalist contribution. Their track record spans both rare disease applications (CF) and cancer, making them versatile for any consortium needing functional human tissue models.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HIT-CF
  Largest budget (EUR 1.09M) and longest duration (2018-2025), targeting personalized treatment for ultra-rare cystic fibrosis mutations using organoid-based drug testing.
• HCA Organoid
  Directly linked to the Human Cell Atlas initiative, establishing a multi-tissue organoid reference platform spanning colon, brain, liver, and pancreas.
• PERSIST-SEQ
  Addresses cancer drug resistance using a combination of spatial transcriptomics, single-cell epigenomics, and patient-derived organoids — their most technically ambitious project.