Organoids—miniature organs derived from an organism’s own cells—are widely used in biology research. However, it is unclear how these dish-grown structures respond to actual living conditions inside the body.

Here, two intestinal organoids (pink) have been transplanted into the colon wall (blue/green). After confirming their long-term survival in this living intestinal environment, scientists have begun altering the properties of the organoids and host organisms to learn more about the effects of diet, aging, and cancer on both healthy and diseased tissue.

Read more about this work here.