Cells in our body live in 3D. Cells isolated from the intestine “remember” their original environment and spontaneously form 3D structures when expanded in the lab. We are interested in understanding how intestinal stem cells undergo morphogenesis. Using our synthetic matrix, we can create complex 3D cellular architecture (shown in this image) starting from a single human intestinal stem cell. Our research shows that by providing some initial cues, intestinal stem cells can form 3D structures that resemble native tissue.