Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuxi Guo, Xuefeng Chen, Pin Gong, Guoliang Li, Wenbo Yao, Wenjuan Yang
Summary: The gut is a vital digestive and immune organ where microorganisms coexist with the host. The gut microbiota interacts with the host's immune system, affecting the function of other organs. The gut-on-chip technology has been developed to emulate the structure and function of the human gut, providing insights into gut-related interactions and pathophysiological studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Buket Baddal, Pasquale Marrazzo
Summary: Bioinspired organ-level in vitro platforms, particularly organ-on-chip microfluidic devices, have emerged as effective technologies for infectious disease research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. By bridging the gap between in vitro experimental models and human pathophysiology, these platforms offer alternatives for animal models and contribute to major advances in various research areas. The recent development of plug-and-play organ chips may hold promise for addressing unmet clinical needs in the development of effective therapeutic strategies, particularly in the context of host-pathogen interactions.
Review
Cell Biology
Anderson K. Santos, Sergio Scalzo, Raysa T. V. de Souza, Pedro H. G. Santana, Bruno L. Marques, Lucas F. Oliveira, M. Filho Daniel, Alexandre Hiroaki Kihara, Helton da Costa Santiago, Ricardo C. Parreira, Alexander Birbrair, Henning Ulrich, Rodrigo R. Resende
Summary: Organoid development and organ-on-a-chip are technologies that utilize stem cells to create 3D multicellular structures resembling organs and tissues in vivo. They can be strategically employed for disease modeling, drug screening, and host-pathogen studies.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hyeon Ryoo, Hannah Kimmel, Evi Rondo, Gregory H. Underhill
Summary: Cellular phenotypes and functional responses are regulated by signals present in their microenvironment. High throughput culture platforms can better recapitulate and analyze these complex signals. Various techniques such as microplates, microarrays, and microfluidic cell culture systems have been developed for high throughput cell culture. Current applications include stem cell sourcing, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.
BIOENGINEERING & TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Enriqueta Garcia-Gutierrez, Paul D. Cotter
Summary: The organ-on-a-chip technology offers a new approach to study the interactions between microbiome and human tissues by mimicking tissue interactions in humans. These systems have the potential to predict how specific foods and ingredients may impact human health and disease.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Clayton M. Small, Emily A. Beck, Mark C. Currey, Hannah F. Tavalire, Susan Bassham, William A. Cresko
Summary: This study demonstrates a positive association between host genetic dissimilarity and microbiome dissimilarity in stickleback fish. The findings provide insight into the genomic architecture of gut microbiome variation and highlight the influence of host genome on microbiome diversity.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Stian Kogler, Kristina Saeterdal Komurcu, Christine Olsen, Jun-ya Shoji, Froydis Sved Skottvoll, Stefan Krauss, Steven Ray Wilson, Hanne Roberg-Larsen
Summary: Organoids and organ-on-a-chip devices are important tools for studying various aspects of organs. This review focuses on the application of mass spectrometry in studying organoids and organ-on-a-chip-derived material. It discusses the use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for proteomics, metabolomics/lipidomics, and hormones, as well as mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) of organoids. The analysis has provided insights into the development and disease of organs, potentially replacing or complementing animal models.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Erin LaMontagne, Alysson R. Muotri, Adam J. Engler
Summary: Tissue engineering and disease modeling fields have recognized the importance of creating complex and mature structures in vitro to mimic the in vivo niche. However, current efforts in neural applications, particularly human brain cortical organoids (COs), only achieve fetal functionality and lack vascularization. Recent studies have focused on vascularizing cortical and other organoid types to address these limitations.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Denise Marrero, Ferran Pujol-Vila, Daniel Vera, Gemma Gabriel, Xavi Illa, Aleix Elizalde-Torrent, Mar Alvarez, Rosa Villa
Summary: This paper discusses the extensive in vitro study of the intestine in recent years, introducing the development of gut-on-a-chip (GOC) devices and their limitations in monitoring physiological parameters. It also proposes materials, technologies, and structures for mimicking intestinal physiology and monitoring important physiological parameters, as well as analyzes the challenges faced in microenvironment replication and monitoring in current GOC models.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Xiaozhou Qi, Yilin Zhang, Gaoxue Wang, Fei Ling
Summary: Redox potential in the gut is an important indicator for the environment and health of the host. This study used zebrafish and common carp models to investigate the influence of gut redox potential on host susceptibility to pathogen infections. The results showed that gut redox potential increased significantly after host infection with pathogenic bacteria, and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was positively correlated with gut redox potential. Reduction of gut redox potential with antioxidants improved host resistance to pathogen infections, and the combination of antioxidants and low concentrations of antibiotics achieved a similar therapeutic effect to high concentrations of antibiotics. This study highlights the importance of altered redox potential in host resistance to infection and suggests new perspectives for the treatment of pathogen infections.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chrysanthi-Maria Moysidou, Chiara Barberio, Roisin Meabh Owens
Summary: Research in cell biology heavily relies on in vitro assays and models, with the recent advancement in 3D cell biology and engineering providing more physiologically relevant culture platforms. These platforms, such as scaffold-based systems and organs-on-chips, show great potential in bridging the gap between conventional animal studies and human physiology by allowing for more accurate modeling of specific processes.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Hongwei Shan, Wei Wu, Zongtao Sun, Jianping Chen, Hongjie Li
Summary: Highlights the importance of symbiotic relationships between stinkbugs and gut microbes in nutrition, ecology, and evolution, as well as their potential contribution to insect pest management.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Joris Van Meenen, Sorcha Ni Dhubhghaill, Bert Van den Bogerd, Carina Koppen
Summary: The cornea is a crucial barrier in the development of ophthalmic formulations, with animal models currently being the most representative but having differences from human corneas and ethical limitations. In vitro approaches are being developed to address these issues. The emerging generation of three-dimensional in vitro models, such as spheroids, organoids, and organs-on-chips, shows promise in advancing the field of corneal equivalents.
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART B-REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Yaoyao Xia, Xuezhi Ding, Shengyi Wang, Wenkai Ren
Summary: This review summarizes the interaction between intestinal microbial oscillations and host circadian clocks, and how the host circadian clocks regulate the immune system against infections and affect viral activity. Strategies for treating infectious diseases by realigning circadian rhythms are also discussed.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Astha Khanna, Beu P. Oropeza, Ngan F. Huang
Summary: Cardiovascular organ-on-a-chip devices consist of engineered or native functional tissues cultured under controlled microenvironments. These systems use microfabrication and tissue engineering techniques to mimic human physiology. This review discusses the applications of human organ-on-a-chip systems in modeling cardiovascular diseases, drug screening, and personalized medicine, as well as the challenges in achieving large-scale utilization for drug development and personalized therapy.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART A
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Sara Van den Bossche, Eva Vandeplassche, Lisa Ostyn, Tom Coenye, Aurelie Crabbe
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer Barrila, Shameema F. Sarker, Nicole Hansmeier, Shanshan Yang, Kristina Buss, Natalia Briones, Jin Park, Richard R. Davis, Rebecca J. Forsyth, C. Mark Ott, Kevin Sato, Cristine Kosnik, Anthony Yang, Cheryl Shimoda, Nicole Rayl, Diana Ly, Aaron Landenberger, Stephanie D. Wilson, Naoko Yamazaki, Jason Steel, Camila Montano, Rolf U. Halden, Tom Cannon, Sarah L. Castro-Wallace, Cheryl A. Nickerson
Summary: This study investigated the effects of spaceflight on the physiology of human cells and microbial pathogens relevant to infectious disease, with a focus on the host-pathogen interactions. The results from the first in-flight infection and dual RNA-seq analysis using human cells provide valuable insights into the impact of space environment on cellular and molecular responses.
Article
Microbiology
Mona Bove, Xuerui Bao, Andrea Sass, Aurelie Crabbe, Tom Coenye
Summary: The combination of QSI and tobramycin for eradicating Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms did not show evolution-proof characteristics, as bacterial resistance mutations were identified in genes involved in antibiotic resistance.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Rosalie C. D. Swimberghe, Aurelie Crabbe, Roeland J. G. De Moor, Tom Coenye, Maarten A. Meire
Summary: This study evaluated the influence of various model system parameters on the sodium hypochlorite susceptibility of endodontic biofilms in a laboratory setting, proposing a relevant in vitro model. The results showed that biofilm age, composition, and substrate significantly impacted the susceptibility of biofilms to sodium hypochlorite, highlighting the importance of selecting relevant parameters when designing laboratory biofilm models for antimicrobial treatment evaluation.
INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jiseon Yang, Jennifer Barrila, C. Mark Ott, Olivia King, Rebekah Bruce, Robert J. C. McLean, Cheryl A. Nickerson
Summary: This study utilized microbial isolates from the ISS potable water system to profile five phenotypes and revealed a temporal dependence on interactive behaviors, suggesting possible microbial adaptation over time within the ecosystem. The findings have implications for microbial risk assessments of water systems in built environments in space and on Earth.
NPJ BIOFILMS AND MICROBIOMES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karl-Jan Spittaels, Katleen van Uytfanghe, Christos C. Zouboulis, Christophe Stove, Aurelie Crabbe, Tom Coenye
Summary: Acne-associated Cutibacterium acnes strains and their porphyrins can activate NRLP3 inflammasome assembly, leading to K+ leakage, inflammasome activation, and IL-1 beta release. Acneic strains produce more porphyrins, which interact with keratinocyte cell membrane, explaining why some C. acnes strains dominate on healthy skin while others dominate on acneic skin.
Article
Biology
Christina L. M. Khodadad, Cherie M. Oubre, Victoria A. Castro, Stephanie M. Flint, Monsi C. Roman, Charlie Mark Ott, Cory J. Spern, Mary E. Hummerick, Gretchen J. Maldonado Vazquez, Michele N. Birmele, Quinn Whitlock, Matt Scullion, Christina M. Flowers, Raymond M. Wheeler, Orlando Melendez
Summary: The research explored the environmental monitoring systems and technologies needed in closed space environments, successfully testing an instrument for microbial monitoring. Tests conducted on the space station showed that this technology can effectively detect target microorganisms, enhancing crew safety.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Cheryl A. Nickerson, Audrie A. Medina-Colorado, Jennifer Barrila, George Poste, C. Mark Ott
Summary: Microbiological research has made significant discoveries about how life responds to non-terrestrial environments, such as the International Space Station. As human space exploration transitions to longer deep-space missions, microorganisms will continue to play a critical role in astronaut health, habitat sustainability, and mission success.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jennifer Barrila, Jiseon Yang, Karla P. Franco P. Melendez, Shanshan Yang, Kristina Buss, Trenton J. Davis, Bruce J. Aronow, Heather D. Bean, Richard R. Davis, Rebecca J. Forsyth, C. Mark Ott, Sandhya Gangaraju, Bianca Y. Kang, Brian Hanratty, Seth D. Nydam, Eric A. Nauman, Wei Kong, Jason Steel, Cheryl A. Nickerson
Summary: This study investigates the impact of Low Shear Modeled Microgravity (LSMMG) culture on the colonization of Salmonella Typhimurium and human intestinal diseases. The results show that LSMMG culture enhances the colonization ability of Salmonella and that the colonization ability of the Delta hfq mutant strain is higher under LSMMG conditions compared to conventional shaking cultures. In addition, infection by Salmonella induces the expression of genes related to inflammation, tissue remodeling, and wound healing in host cells. This study expands our understanding of how physical forces can affect the early stages of human enteric salmonellosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Karla Franco Melendez, Keith Crenshaw, Jennifer Barrila, Jiseon Yang, Sandhya Gangaraju, Richard R. Davis, Rebecca J. Forsyth, C. Mark Ott, Rebin Kader, Roy Curtiss, Kenneth Roland, Cheryl A. Nickerson
Summary: The discovery that biomechanical forces regulate microbial virulence has shed light on the importance of physiological low fluid shear (LFS) forces in altering gene expression, stress responses, and virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. This study investigated the role of RpoS in regulating the responses of Salmonella to physiological LFS, and found that while RpoS was important for handling oxidative and thermal stresses, it was dispensable for acid and bile salts stresses, as well as for adherence and survival within intestinal epithelial cells. These findings enhance our understanding of how physiological fluid shear forces modulate the physiology of S. Typhimurium and provide insights into its responses in the infected host.