Credit: Sam Willemsen, Copyright: Hubrecht Institute. 22 September 2026 First airway organoids from a python created for virus research Back to news Researchers from the Clevers group have for the first time created organoids derived from the airways of a reptile, using tissue from the ball python. These lab-grown mini airways make it possible to study reptile airways and viral infections in the laboratory. The study is published in Nature Communications. The airway organoids mimic key characteristics of python airways. They contain ciliated cells, secretory cells, basal cells and several other specialized cell types. To further characterize the organoids, the researchers mapped the python genome and investigated which genes are active in the airways. As a proof-of-principle, the team collaborated with virologists from Erasmus MC to test the organoids using a nidovirus, a common virus that can cause severe respiratory problems in pythons and other reptiles. “We saw that the organoids were susceptible to infection and responded with a clear immune response,” says Sam Willemsen, lead researcher of the study. “An infection activated genes that help fight the virus.” When the team treated the organoids with an antiviral drug, this reduced the amount of virus in infected cells. Airway organoid from a ball python. This laboratory-grown mini airway mimics key characteristics of the python’s airways. The cell nuclei, which contain the cells’ DNA, are shown in orange. The cell membranes, which form the boundaries of the cells, are shown in blue. Credit: Sam Willemsen, Copyright: Hubrecht Institute. Nidoviruses in reptiles are mainly relevant to the health of the animals themselves. Pythons are kept as pets and traded globally, and infected animals sometimes show no symptoms. This allows the virus to spread unnoticed. Using the airway organoids, researchers can study viral infections and potential treatments in reptiles without having to use animals directly. The organoids may therefore contribute to a better understanding of snake biology and health, improved treatments for reptiles kept as pets, and research into infectious diseases in reptiles. Publication Modeling reptile virus infection in vitro using Python regius airway organoids. Sam Willemsen, Gijs van Son, Melanie Rissmann, Ninouk Akkerman, Harry Begthel, Jeroen Korving, Carola Ammerlaan, Bart L. Haagmans, Johan van Es & Hans Clevers. Nature Communications, 2026. About Hans Clevers Hans Clevers is distinguished group leader at the Hubrecht Institute (KNAW). This title is a recognition of his special contributions to the institute, science and society, both nationally and internationally. He also is group leader at the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, distinguished professor in Molecular Genetics at Utrecht University and Investigator at Oncode Institute. In the past he was director of the Hubrecht Institute, president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, director of the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology and head of Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) at Roche.
