Scientists at Université de Montréal and its affiliated Centre de recherche Azrieli du CHU Sainte-Justine have made a major advance in their research into cardiovascular disease: They’ve created functional, three-dimensional heart tissue that can beat autonomously in vitro. The tissue incorporates micro-sensors that make it possible to do finely tuned, real-time analysis of its contractile properties. This advance marks an important step forward for modeling human cardiac diseases and conducting preclinical drug testing.