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May 16, 2025 – In a major leap for infectious disease research, scientists at Korea’s Institute for Basic Science (IBS), in collaboration with international partners, have unveiled the world’s most comprehensive bat organoid platform. This pioneering technology promises to transform our understanding of how dangerous viruses behave in bats, the natural hosts of many pathogens responsible for recent global outbreaks.
A New Era in Virus Research
Bats are known to harbor some of the world’s most threatening viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (the virus behind COVID-19), MERS-CoV, influenza A, and hantavirus. Yet, studying how these viruses interact with bat biology has long been a challenge due to the lack of suitable laboratory models.
Until now, research was limited to cell samples or organoids derived from a single bat species and organ. The IBS-led team has changed the game by developing miniaturized organ models-organoids-from four organs (airway, lungs, kidneys, and small intestine) across five common bat species from Asia and Europe.
“This platform reconstructs bat organ physiology in the lab, letting us explore zoonotic viruses in unprecedented detail,” said Dr. Koo Bon-Kyoung, Director of the IBS Center for Genome Engineering.
Unraveling Virus Behavior and Bat Immunity
Armed with this new toolkit, researchers directly tested how key viruses infect different bat organs and species. Their findings revealed that each virus behaves uniquely-sometimes only infecting certain organs or bat species. For example, a virus that flourished in one bat’s lung might fail to grow in another’s kidney. These differences could help explain why some viruses jump to humans while others remain confined to bats.
The team also discovered that bats’ immune responses to the same virus vary by organ and species, shedding light on why bats can carry so many viruses without falling ill themselves.
Discovery of New Viruses and Drug Testing Advances
In another major achievement, the researchers identified two previously unknown bat viruses-a mammalian orthoreovirus and a paramyxovirus-directly from wild bat feces. Notably, one of these viruses could not be cultivated in standard cell cultures but thrived in the new bat organoids, highlighting the platform’s value for future virus isolation.
Moreover, by converting the organoids into two-dimensional models, the team enabled rapid testing of antiviral drugs such as Remdesivir, yielding results more reliable than traditional lab methods.
Building a Global Biobank for Future Pandemics
The bat organoid platform is poised to become a cornerstone for global pandemic preparedness. For the first time, scientists can safely screen new viruses, assess their risk, and test drugs using bat tissues that closely mimic real-life conditions.
“With these standardized and scalable bat organoids, we aim to systematically identify novel bat-origin viruses and screen antiviral candidates targeting pathogens with pandemic potential,” said Dr. Choi Young Ki, Director of the Korea Virus Research Institute at IBS.
The team envisions expanding this work into a global biobank, supporting both national and international biosecurity efforts. This initiative will enable deeper investigation into the genetic and biological factors that drive cross-species transmission, supporting organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) in predicting and preventing future pandemics.
Disclaimer:
This news article is based on information provided by the Institute for Basic Science and its collaborators, as reported by News-Medical.net. The findings described are the result of ongoing scientific research and may evolve as further studies are conducted. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as medical advice or as a substitute for professional consultation.
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