Halting SARS‐CoV‐2: lung organoids step up to the plate

Defining the pulmonary cell types infected by SARS‐CoV‐2 and finding ways to prevent subsequent tissue damage are key goals for controlling COVID‐19. Recent work establishing a human lung organoid‐derived air–liquid interface model permissive to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection identifies alveolar type II cells as the primary cell type infected, reports an infection‐induced interferon response and demonstrates the effectiveness of interferon lambda 1 treatment in dampening lung infection.