LEUNG LAB

Human beings live alongside a vast variety of microorganisms in the environment, many of which reside within us and in direct contact with our mucosal epithelium (e.g oral, airways and gut). Recent research has highlighted the associations between microbes and human health, from metabolic diseases to cancers. However, little is known about the mechanisms of these interactions due to the lack of translatable in vivo and in vitro models. To date, few in vitro systems are able to directly co-culture human cells and microbes in a defined and repeatable fashion. Our group aims to address this problem by using advanced bio-printing techniques and specially formulated bio-ink to confine bacterial colonies in direct co-culture with engineered human tissues (see project 1). In an earlier study we have successfully cultivated bacteria biofilm on an epithelial cell monolayer using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). The goal here is to expand on this concept to create long-term, multiplexed..