Organoids, Organ-on-Chip, and In Silico Models have transformed biomedical and pharmaceutical research, marking a new era of experimentation. Organoids mimic the structure and function of organs, providing a physiologically human-relevant platform for disease study and drug testing. Organ-on-Chip systems replicate human organ microenvironments, offering dynamic conditions for drug assessment. In Silico Models, driven by computational simulations, expedite drug discovery by analyzing complex biological processes. These models contribute to accurate, efficient, and human-centered research, reducing reliance on animal testing and advancing biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences.

The 3R-Center Tübingen for In vitro Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing at the University of Tübingen and the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen is thrilled to host the first 3R LÄND Conference in the heart of the Länd, Tübingen, Germany. The conference unites academia, clinicians, industry representatives, regulatory agencies, and policymakers in the biomedical and pharmaceutical field. We invite all interested parties to join us on May 21-23, 2024, for a deep dive into the forefront of biomedical and pharmaceutical research. Engage in exciting keynote lectures, scientific presentations, poster sessions, and networking opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange.

Stay tuned for details and spread the word among your colleagues and students!

We look forward to meeting you in May 2024 in Tübingen!

The Conference will take place at the Morgenstelle Auditorium Center of the University of Tübingen.

Auditorium Center
Auf der Morgenstelle 16
72076 Tübingen
Germany

Accessibility
The building is barrier-free and accessible at all levels.

• Abstract Submission: Abstract Submission for oral presentation has closed on January 31st, 2024. Late-breaking abstract submission for posters are still possible until April 30th, 2024.
• Registration: Registration is now open! Save yourself one of the limited tickets!

Stay up to date and find all relevant information on demand via the 3R-Centers Tübingen’s LinkedInor the Twitter account!

Below you will find a list of hotels in the immediate vicinity of the venue:

* To secure a room from the reserved hotel allocation, kindly make your reservations via email or by phone, referencing the retrieval code “The3RLänd“. Please note that the number of rooms available in the reserved contingent is limited, and reservations will be confirmed on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

The payment process is carried out via Ventura Labs and takes place in the name and for the account of the Universitätsklinikum Tübingen A. d. oe. R. registered office Tübingen. All prices are VAT included. You will receive a VAT invoice during the process. VAT ID DE146889674

The Conference Ticket includes:

• Access to all keynote lectures
• Access to all scientific sessions
• Access to all poster sessions
• Access to all sponsor and exhibitor booths
• Refreshments (daily) and catered lunches (Wed + Thu)
• Admission to special events – Welcome Reception (Tue); and Conference Dinner (Wed)

Please Note:

Conference registrations are personal and binding. They are non-refundable and non-transferable to another individual, irrespective of non-attendance or any other reason.

Click here to download Program at a Glance

• Opening Ceremony (Start: May 21st, 1 PM) and Closing Ceremony (End: May 23rd, 4:30 PM)
• Keynote Lectures and Expert Presentations
• Oral Presentations meticulously selected from the submitted abstracts
• Poster Presentations
• Rapid-Fire Pitch Talks

• Prof. Dr. Josef Penninger (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, DE): Human organoids for infection research
• Prof. Dr. Daniela Salvatori(Utrecht University, NL): The power of education for the transition to animal-free innovation: from theory to practice
• Prof. Dr. Marcel Leist (Konstanz University, DE): Development of non-animal methods for neurodegeneration research and neurotoxicity assessment
• Prof. Dr. Simone Mayer(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology & Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, DE): Human brain organoids as models of rare neurological disorders as a stepping stone towards personalized medicine
• Prof. Dr. Peter Loskill (Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, DE): Recapitulating Complex Tissues using Organ-on-chip and Organoid Technologies

• Innovation in Organ-on-Chip Models
  • Chair: Julia Rogal (Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE)
  • Opening Speaker: Stefan Krauss (Oslo University, NO): Promises and challenges of microphysiological liver models

• Innovation in Organoid Models
  • Chair: Deborah Kronenberg-Versteeg (DZNE Tübingen, DE)
  • Opening Speaker: Stefan Liebau (Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, DE): Getting closer to a glance back from the dish – next generation retinal organoids

• Innovation in In Silico Models
  • Opening Speaker: Oliver Röhrle (University of Stuttgart, DE): In silico modelling: chances and challenges

• Application of NAMs for Rare Diseases and Personalized Medicine
  • Chair: Julia Marzi (NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, Reutlingen, DE)
  • Opening Speaker: Marianne Carlon (KU Leuven, BE): Implementing patient-derived in vitro models for translational testing of gene editing therapies for cystic fibrosis

• Training and Education for NAMs
  • Chair: Silke Keller (3R-Center Tübingen, DE)
  • Opening Speaker: Lucia Selfa Aspiroz (JRC EURL ECVAM, Ispra, IT): Empowering the scientists of today and tomorrow: EC resources on 3Rs for students and researchers

• Application of NAMs for Environmental, Food and Chemical Toxicology
  • Chair: Madalena Cipriano (Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, DE)
  • Opening Speaker: Karilyn E. Sant (San Diego State University, CA, USA): Embryonic and aquatic toxicity of common environmental pollutants: the case for tire tread particles and emerging coastal mixtures

• NAM-based Basic Biomedical Research
  • Chair: Monilola Olayioye (University of Stuttgart, DE)
  • Opening Speaker: Robert Zweigerdt (Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, DE): Human Multi-Tissue Organoids as an Advanced Teratogenicity Model

• Use of NAMs in Industrial Research
  • Chairs: Mario Beilmann (Boehringer-Ingelheim, DE) & Stefan Kustermann (Roche, CH)
  • Speakers:
    • Mario Beilmann (Boehringer-Ingelheim, DE): MPS for mechanistic toxicity investigations: example drug-induced liver injury (DILI)
    • Gautier Roussignol (Sanofi, FR): Human microbrain 3D model for non-clinical neuronal safety evaluation at early phase of drug development
    • Diana Karwelat (Bayer, DE): Advanced cellular models at Bayer (Pharmaceuticals) – Use cases and current challenges
    • Terry van Vleet (Abbvie, USA): Current opportunities and remaining challenges for NAMs impact in pharmaceutical safety assessment
    • Adrian Roth (Roche, CH): Patient-derived human tissue models supporting precision medicine in clinical drug development
    • Rhiannon N. Hardwick (Bristol Myers Squibb, USA): Onboarding and Context of Use Qualification Considerations for GI and Liver CIVM/MPS Applications in Discovery Toxicology

She has recently worked on the vision document focused on the use of fewer laboratory animals in higher education published by the Universities of the Netherlands and the Dutch Medical Hospital.

Marcel Leist obtained an MSc in toxicology (Guildford 1989), and a PhD in pharmacology (Konstanz 1993). Since 2006, he has been head of the Department of In vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine at the University of Konstanz (inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation), and director of the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing in Europe (CAAT-Europe), a joint venture with Johns-Hopkins University. From 2000-2006, he worked as ‘Head of Department of Disease Biology’ on the discovery of neurology and psychiatry drugs in the Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck A/S. His research resulted in > 400 publications (cited over 35,000 times), and was awarded with many national and international research prizes. The current research addresses the question on how model data can be used for the prediction of the adverse effects of chemicals on the human population. While the current safety system world-wide is based on the use of experimental animals as model system, the research of Marcel has focused on new approaches to use alternative data sources. Steps towards this include (i) the development of non-animal new approach methods (NAM), (ii) the integration of multiple information layers from NAM in next generation risk assessment (NGRA), (iii) extrapolation of model data to complex real-life scenarios, and (iv) uncertainty analyses for the predictions. An example is the contribution to the GIVIMP guideline issued by the OECD or the developmental neurotoxicity in vitro test battery promoted by EFSA and the EPA.

Peter Loskill is Full Professor for Organ-on-Chip (OoC) Research at the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen (EKUT) and the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen in Reutlingen, and head of the 3R-Center Tübingen for In vitro Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing. Dr. Loskill graduated in 2012 from Saarland University with a PhD in Physics focusing on Biointerface Science. He then spent three years as postdoctoral fellow in the Healy lab at University of California at Berkeley developing human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-based OoC models, funded by the NIH/NCATS TissueChip program and the German Science Foundation (DFG). In 2015, he was named as one of Technology Review’s “Innovators under 35 Germany” and awarded a Fraunhofer ATTRACT Grant, the highest funded German starting grant program, which enabled him to start an independent research group at Fraunhofer IGB Stuttgart. In 2021, he accepted a W3-professor position, heading the Department for Microphysiological Systems in the Faculty of Medicine at EKUT and NMI. From 2021 to 2023, he served as the Chair of the European Organ-on-Chip Society (EUROoCS) and, in 2023, he became part of the governing board of the International MPS Society (iMPSS). Dr. Loskill and his interdisciplinary µOrganoLab merge engineering, biology, physics, and medicine to generate next generation tissue models recapitulating complex human biology in vitro. His research focuses on i) development of tailored OoC platforms, ii) application of OoCs for pharmaceutical research, toxicological screening, and biomedical studies, as well as on iii) enabling technologies that support parallelization, automation, and ease of use.

Please note that late-breaking abstract submissions can only be accepted as posters.

Deadline

• File Submission Guidelines:
  • Template: Please utilize the provided template for abstract preparation. Download the template, fill in your details, and save the document in PDF format. Upload the completed PDF using the form below.
  • Language and Word Limit: Abstracts must be in English and should not exceed 350 words (including references; excluding title and authors).
  • File Format and Size: Please upload a single PDF file with a file size not exceeding 5 MB. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.
  • Abstract Evaluation and Selection: All abstracts will be evaluated and selected for oral or poster presentation by the Program Committee
  • Author Information: Full first and last names of all authors; abbreviate middle names (e.g., Peter R. S. Parker); presenting author should be identified. Provide affiliations including institute/company, town, and country for each author. E-mail address of presenting author should be provided.
  • Additional Information in Abstract: Acknowledgements, disclaimers or funding information may be included at the end of the abstract.
• Confidentiality Note:
  • Kindly refrain from including any confidential material in your abstracts. Note that all accepted abstracts will be freely accessible to all conference participants.
• Presentation Selection:
  • Submitted abstracts will be considered for either oral presentation or inclusion in the interactive poster session.
• Author Limitation:
  • Each presenting author is allowed to submit only one abstract.
• Conference Registration Requirement:
  • It is mandatory for all presenters to be registered for the conference if their abstract is accepted.

Template Download

Click here to download the Template

Deadline for Abstract Submission

• The deadline for submitting abstracts was Wednesday, January, 31st, 2024

Notice to Authors

• Authors were notified on the decision of the Program Committee by February 14th, 2024.

Late-Breaking Abstracts

• Late-breaking abstract submissions can be accepted as posters if submitted before April 30th, 2024.

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