Navinci and BrainZell initiate a collaboration to explore functional spatial biology in human brain organoids
Uppsala, Sweden - August 18, 2026 - Navinci Diagnostics AB today announces that the company has initiated a collaboration with BrainZell to explore the use of Navinci’s in situ Proximity Ligation Assay technology in human brain organoid models to support relevant studies of biology and drug response.
The collaboration aims to evaluate how functional spatial readouts can be applied in advanced three-dimensional brain models to support more human-relevant brain studies of biology and drug response. The work is currently at an early feasibility stage and will focus on selected assay concepts in BrainZell’s organoid models.
Human brain organoids are increasingly used to model complex brain biology in systems that better reflect human tissue compared with traditional two-dimensional cell models. To understand how biological pathways respond to disease mechanisms or therapeutic intervention, researchers need assays that can provide functional information directly in the sample context.
Navinci’s in situ Proximity Ligation Assay technology enables highly specific detection of proteins, protein-protein interactions and post-translational modifications directly in cells and tissues while preserving spatial context. In organoid models, this approach may provide a way to study pathway activity and treatment effects with greater biological relevance.
BrainZell develops and applies human brain organoid models for drug discovery and disease research. By combining BrainZell’s organoid platform with Navinci’s functional protein analysis, the companies aim to explore whether spatial interactomics can add a new layer of biological insight to organoid-based drug discovery.
The initial work will be performed as a feasibility project. Both companies see potential for future applications in CNS research, drug discovery and translational studies, depending on the outcome of the evaluation.
“We are pleased to start this collaboration with BrainZell and explore how our technology can be applied in human brain organoid models. Organoids offer an exciting opportunity to study biology in a more human-relevant system, and functional spatial readouts may help researchers gain deeper insight into how pathways respond to disease and treatment,” said Jenny Sundqvist, CEO of Navinci.
“At BrainZell, we are working at the forefront of 3D drug discovery and continuously exploring technologies that can make organoid studies more informative. Assessing protein localization, protein interactions, target engagement and pathway activity within an intact 3D tissue architecture could provide an important additional layer of insight for identifying and validating drug targets, understanding disease biology and evaluating treatment response. This feasibility project will allow us to assess that potential directly in our human brain organoid models,” said Robin Pronk, CSO at BrainZell.
The collaboration is part of Navinci’s ongoing work to expand the use of in situ Proximity Ligation Assay technology across advanced model systems and to support researchers studying protein function and signaling in biologically relevant contexts.
For further information, please contact:
Jenny Sundqvist, CEO
E-mail: jenny.sundqvist@navinci.se
Agata Wicher, Chief R&D Officer
E-mail: agata.zieba@navinci.se
About Navinci
Navinci is a Swedish biotech company specializing in developing innovative solutions for studying in situ protein expression and interactions. With a focus and a strong legacy in developing in situ proximity ligation assay technology, Navinci has established itself as a center of excellence in the field and has a broad portfolio of products that help researchers study protein interactions in depth.
About BrainZell
BrainZell is a Swedish biotech company that combines large scale human brain organoid production with advanced AI-based modeling to discover and develop new treatments for neurological diseases. With patient brain organoids, BrainZell’s ambition is to generate clinically relevant human data allowing the discovery and validation of new drug targets and improving the therapeutic success rate in clinical trials.