PluriCore - Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Network

Coordinators: ✉️ Sebastian Diecke (Berlin), ✉️ Micha Drukker (Leiden), and ✉️ Harald Stachelscheid (Berlin)

PluriCore is a European network of pluripotent stem cell (PSC) core facility leaders dedicated to strengthening collaboration, harmonizing standards, and advancing high-quality human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) research. The network was established in 2015 through an initiative led by Micha Drukker (then Helmholtz Munich, now Leiden University), Harald Stachelscheid (CUSCO BIH Stem Cell Core Facility, BCRT), and Sebastian Diecke (Technology Platform Pluripotent Stem Cells, Max Delbrück Center), with support from the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) and the German Stem Cell Network (GSCN).

Since its inception, PluriCore has served as a platform for the exchange of expertise, protocols, materials, and operational experience, supporting reproducibility, efficiency, and innovation across the pluripotent stem cell research community.

The network brings together leading core facilities with complementary expertise in pluripotent stem cell derivation and culture, cellular reprogramming, directed differentiation, genome engineering, quality control, and advanced cell characterization. By fostering close interaction among facilities, PluriCore promotes the development, implementation, and dissemination of best practices and shared standards for experimental workflows, benchmarking strategies, quality assurance, and data management.

Building on the success of this initiative and expanding collaboration to the European level, CorEUstem – The European Network for Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facilities – was established in 2021 through funding from the European Union under the COST Action framework. CorEUstem brings together experts in pluripotent stem cell biology, differentiation, organoid technologies, and genome engineering with the goal of harmonizing procedures and protocols, establishing benchmarking and quality control standards, and promoting training and knowledge exchange throughout Europe. The network connects core facilities, principal investigators, scientists, and technical staff working in the field of pluripotent stem cells and related technologies, thereby fostering collaboration and the dissemination of best practices across the broader pluripotent stem cell community.

To enhance coordination and ensure long-term sustainability beyond the completion of the COST Action in 2025, PluriCore will continue as a dedicated structure within the CorEUstem network. As the founding network from which CorEUstem emerged, PluriCore will focus specifically on the exchange between core facility leaders and managers, fostering professional dialogue on the operation, optimization, and strategic development of service-oriented pluripotent stem cell infrastructures, while maintaining its original mission of supporting excellence in pluripotent stem cell core facility operations.

PluriCore Network Meeting 2025 – Exchange on Reprogramming, Gene Editing, and Quality Control

The 8th Annual PluriCore Network Meeting took place on 4-5 December  2025, at the Rahel Hirsch Center of the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité in Berlin. The meeting focused on cross-institutional exchange of practical workflows related to iPSC reprogramming, documentation, differentiation and organoid technologies, genome editing, as well as cell characterization and genomic stability. A total of 33 participants attended, representing numerous institutions including BIH/Charité and MDC (Berlin), University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Hannover Medical School (MHH), universities and university hospitals in Bonn, Heidelberg, and Aachen, Helmholtz Munich, HHU Düsseldorf/IUF Düsseldorf, as well as international partners from Leiden, Lund, and Vienna.

The first day began with a session on reprogramming, covering topics such as cofactors and small molecules, chemical reprogramming, challenges associated with in-house Sendai virus production, and emerging approaches including LNP- and VEE-based reprogramming as well as workflow optimization strategies. These presentations were complemented by contributions on digital documentation solutions (e.g., STARLIMS/Cell Model Catalogue and ASSUREDchain) and a joint discussion on traceability of passaging, cell culture maintenance, and GMO documentation. The evening concluded with a networking dinner, providing participants with an opportunity for informal discussions and exchange.

The second day focused on neural 2D and 3D models, including aged organoid systems, MEA-based approaches, neuronal differentiation, and models of the autonomic nervous system. Genome editing was another major topic, featuring discussions on strategies for detecting large on-target events, prime editing modulators and screening approaches, virus-like particle (VLP) technologies, and immune-evasive safety concepts. The quality control and genomic stability session covered DNA methylation-based characterization, services for assessing genetic integrity (e.g., ddPCR-based approaches), the impact of passaging methods on genomic stability, and the ongoing development of tools for genomic monitoring.

During the final discussion, several overarching themes emerged, including ethical considerations related to the use and distribution of cell lines, sustainability in cell culture laboratories, and the need for harmonized quality control standards. Examples included pluripotency assays (three-germ-layer differentiation), off-target analyses following genome editing, and the detection of mitochondrial DNA mutations. Participants also discussed the need for more efficient processes to facilitate cell transfer, including within institutional settings. Finally, the future role of PluriCore and its interfaces with CorEuStem (The European Network for Stem Cell Core Facilities, COST Action CA20140) were explored.