Enables accurate modelling of the human colon and the mucosal barrier

• Provides new insights to the relationship between human microbiome and effect on human health
• Model to be integrated into CN Bio’s PhysioMimix™ OOC range of single- and multi-organ microphysiological systems

Cambridge, UK: CN Bio, a leading Organ-on-a-chip Company (OOC) that designs and manufactures single- and multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPS), today announced it has secured the licensing rights to a novel tool for modelling the gut microbiome, GuMI, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Northeastern University. Planned for commercial launch in 2023, the technology will be integrated into CN Bio’s PhysioMimix OOC range of single- and multi-organ MPS, enabling researchers to investigate the direct interaction between the microbiome and gut, and the wider effects of the microbiome on organs such as the liver and brain.

The ability to study the human microbiome and its effects on human health is an area of great research interest and a pivotal application for OOC technology. Through its relationship with MIT, CN Bio has licensed the GuMI device from OOC pioneer and long-term collaborator, Professor Linda Griffith, at MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering, whose group recently published findings using the system¹, and joint patent-holder Professor Rebecca Carrier at Northeastern University.

Modelling the human microbiome in the laboratory is challenging, especially since many of its several thousand strains of bacteria cannot grow or survive when exposed to oxygen. Animal and in vitro cell-based models have provided some insights to this area of research, however, until now, there has not been a system for long-term in vitro co-culture of a colonic mucosal barrier that supports the growth of these highly oxygen-sensitive microbes.

The GuMI device enables researchers to precisely control oxygen levels within the system, enabling anaerobic bacteria to grow in the mucus layer above the gut barrier. This closely resembles human physiology. Micropumps circulate cell culture medium to ensure the cells are nourished and to remove bacteria from the system for specific analysis of the microbiome.

This agreement follows the recent selection of CN Bio’s PhysioMimix™ Multi-Organ MPS by King’s College London, to create a unique human-relevant liver-intestinal model for characterizing and manipulating host-microbial interactions, to support improved outcomes in cirrhosis².

Dr David Hughes, CEO, CN Bio, commented: “We are rapidly coming to appreciate the important role the microbiome plays in human health and disease. The field is held back by a lack of experimental systems which truly enable researchers to explore and understand the microbiome and its interactions. Adding the GuMI technology to our PhysioMimix system is an important step in CN Bio’s journey to providing our customers with the most physiologically relevant models to power their drug discovery.”   

1. Zhang J et al., Primary Human Colonic Mucosal Barrier Crosstalk with Super Oxygen-Sensitive Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in Continuous Culture. Med 2021; 2(1): 74-98e.9
2. CN Bio’s PhysioMimix™ adopted by King’s College London to investigate chronic liver disease (29^th June 2021) https://cn-bio.com/cn-bios-physiomimix-adopted-by-kings-college-london-to-investigate-chronic-liver-disease/

For future details on the PhysioMimix Single and Multi-Organ Systems, please visit: https://cn-bio.com/physiomimixooc/

About CN Bio https://cn-bio.com/

CN Bio is a leading organ-on-a-chip company that has developed single and multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPS) that improve the accuracy and efficiency of drug discovery. With more than a decade of research and development experience in multi-organ microphysiology, the Company aims to transform the way human-relevant pre-clinical data is generated through the development of the most complete model of the human “Body-on-a-Chip” in the laboratory.

CN Bio’s organ-on-chip range, which include the PhysioMimix™ Single- and Multi-Organ lab-benchtop systems, enable researchers to model human biology in the lab through rapid and predictive 3D human tissue-based studies that harness microfluidic technology. The technology bridges the gap between traditional cell culture and human studies, advancing towards the simulation of human biological conditions to support the accelerated development of new therapeutics in application areas including oncology, infectious diseases, metabolism and inflammation.

CN Bio supports researchers that require data-rich in vitro studies for the analysis of novel compounds, and assessment of toxicity and safety, in addition to supporting investigation into a broad range of biological processes across different organ cell-types, in application areas including ADME and toxicology, disease modelling, drug discovery, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, and drug repurposing.

CN Bio’s technology is developed internally and licensed from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Northeastern University and Vanderbilt University, and has been successfully adopted by numerous pharma and academic partners.

CN Bio’s headquarters and laboratories are based in Cambridge, UK, with an international network of distributors.