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#ARTxSCIENCE2026 This year's finalists have been chosen by the public. Congratulations to: Oscar Bay Axelsen from reNEW Copenhagen, Viviana Meraviglia from reNEW Leiden, Giulia Campostrini from reNEW Leiden Hayley Pointer from reNEW Melbourne Allara Zylberberg from reNEW Melbourne Rianna De Poi (née Fitzgerald) from reNEW Melbourne Sophia Mah, from reNEW Melbourne Antonia T.L. Zech from reNEW Melbourne Melissa Ritchie from reNEW Melbourne Paola Pisterzi from reNEW Leiden Lingbing Zhang from reNEW Copenhagen, artxscience 2026 #52 - reNEW Louise Savioe Piilgaard from reNEW Copenhagen Over the next week we will be presenting each finalist - so keep an eye out for them here! Visit the ARTxSCIENCE website to see all finalists here: https://lnkd.in/e9agBbCQ Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) Leiden University Medical Center Tanja X Pedersen Christel Schollaardt Insoo Hyun Bern Hall

#ARTxSCIENCE2026 A kidney in the making Chronic #kidneydisease is a leading cause of death worldwide that affects more than 850 million people globally. With #kidneydonor shortages and kidney transplant complications, we are using human induced pluripotent #stemcells to generate #kidneytubes (#nephrons), critical for performing the kidneys functions. These lab-grown nephrons may help to develop new medications and create artificial kidney tissue that could improve dialysis and alleviate transplant shortages in future. Dr Jessica Vanslambrouck and her team have developed the most accurate and functional lab-grown nephrons reported to date. We are now further improving the maturation, functionality, and structure of these tiny kidney tissues to apply them to therapeutic outcomes aimed at improving chronic kidney disease outcomes. Image description: This lab-grown kidney model shows elongated nephrons, stained with markers of different nephron segments that carry out the kidneys’ functions. Vote for this entry: https://lnkd.in/dNRkTs-k #Credits: Ker Sin Tan, Research Assistant, Melissa Little Lab, reNEW Melbourne. Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH Leiden University Medical Center Helen Flett

#ARTxSCIENCE2026 Microscopic city #Type1diabetes is a lifelong #disease that current treatment for most can only manage, never fix. It affects millions of people — many diagnosed as children — who then face a lifetime of daily burden and rising health risks, no matter how well they manage it. Our research explores whether these cells can be replaced with #pancreatic #islets made from #pluripotent #stemcells. Using #microscopy we study how these living implants develop and function after transplantation. In the future, this approach could help restore the body’s natural ability to sense glucose and release insulin, reducing dependence on insulin injections. We turn #pluripotentstemcells into pancreatic islets and #transplant them into experimental models. After six months, we retrieve the grafts and use advanced microscopy to map their different cell types and organisation. This lets us study how the cells survive, mature and interact in their new environment, helping us understand what makes a stem-cell-derived islet functional and reliable enough to one day support cell replacement therapy for diabetes. Image description: A six-month-old stem-cell-derived product: a colourful city of pancreatic cells. Vote for this entry: https://lnkd.in/epWR8zhC #Credits: Anne de Leeuw, postdoctoral researcher, Carlotti lab, reNEW, Leiden. Leiden University Medical Center Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) Hessel Honkoop Mandy Segers

#ARTxSCIENCE2026 Isletopia: A Little Universe Within Us #Isletopia is a colourful microscopic world made of #pancreaticcells. This is a universe hidden within us, a reminder that extraordinary universes exist at scales too small to see. Green endocrine cells send hormones that help control blood sugar, while red ductal cells provide structure and support. Our research addresses #Type1diabetes, where immune attack destroys #insulin-producing #islets. We aim to create stem-cell-derived islets that could one day replace these lost cells and help restore the body’s natural glucose control. Our goal is to develop SC islets that can replace the insulin-producing islets lost through the patients with T1D. These miniature “Isletopia” worlds may become living implants—tiny biological power stations that sense glucose and deliver insulin when the body needs it. Image description: Isletopia is a fictional microscopic world where cells become citizens, signals become communication, and the delicate cooperation between endocrine and ductal cells sustains the world of life. The green citizens, the endocrine cells, whisper hormones that guide the rhythm of existanc. The red guardians, the ductal cells, build the pathways that connect and protect. Together, in harmony of structure and signal, they keep the world in balance. A delicate universe where science meets imagination and every cell tells a story of life. Vote for this entry: https://lnkd.in/dPRD-7pZ #Credits: Lizanne Daleman, research technician , Bahareh Rajaei, postdoctoral researcher, Carlotti lab, reNEW leiden Leiden University Medical Center Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) Hessel Honkoop Mandy Segers

#ARTxSCIENCE2026 Tracing life Our lives begin as a single cell. As stem cells divide, they form families that eventually give rise to all the tissues and organs of our body. In our lab, we trace these cellular family trees using unique marks in the cells’ own #DNA, helping us understand development and disease. Within the ScarLab at reNEW Leiden, we study how stem cells make decisions that determine their fate and function. We investigate this in different biological systems, including early development, the pancreas, and the brain. By adding unique markers to the DNA of cells and measuring RNA in individual cells, we can trace their history and identity. We then use computational approaches to reconstruct these cellular relationships and answer our research questions. Image description: The graph shows cells linked by shared developmental origin, revealing the clonal architecture of gastruloids. Vote for this entry: https://lnkd.in/eCszz4rn #Credits: Twan de Winter, researcher, Alemany lab, reNEW Leiden Myrthe Berndsen, PhD candidate, Alemany lab, reNEW Leiden Leiden University Medical Center Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) Hessel Honkoop Mandy Segers

#ARTxSCIENCE2026 Flowering after the flares. Patients with #ulcerativecolitis experience relapsing flares of wounds in their #intestine. A root cause of the disease is weakened barrier function leading to influx of luminal content and subsequent inflammation. By uncovering how the intestinal lining grows during development and regrows after disease, we illuminate signals that support natural mechanisms of healing hereby enabling the intestinal ecosystem to recover and flourish once again. We study how the intestine grows during development and regrows after disease. By comparing developing and damaged tissue, we identify signals that can support regeneration and test these on mini-intestines grown from stem cells in the laboratory. Our vision is to strengthen the intestine's protective barrier and improve recovery after disease. Image description: The image displays the emergence and patterning of stem cell-containing crypts during intestinal development. Vote for this entry: https://lnkd.in/dJnkb8MW #Credits: Hjalte List Larsen, Senior Scientist, Kim Jensen Lab, reNEW Copenhagen. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH Leiden University Medical Center Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) Nicole Overmars