Background

The importance of the human microbiome in health and disease is widely recognized in the scientific community. For instance, initial research has demonstrated potential roles of the microbiome in diseases like cancer, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases - which impact millions of patients every year. Identifying signature microbiota features associated with the disease as well as understanding the impact of potential microbiome-based drugs (‘drugs from bugs’, ‘drugs for bugs’ or ‘bugs as drugs’) could allow to be a step closer to treating diseases through microbiome therapeutics.

However, conventional culture and animal models in drug discovery are not well adapted to investigate the human-microbiome interface.

Technology Overview

HuMiX platform is a microbiome-based platform for the investigation of the human-microbiome interface tailored to support the development of microbiome therapeutics. It is a microfluidics system allowing co-culturing of human derived cells including immune cells with aerobic and anerobic microbiota thereby representing the in vivo conditions of the human gastrointestinal tract. The platform has been validated and results obtained so far are also consistent with clinical studies. The platform is automated and is ready to be scaled up to high throughput compatibility. In addition, the HuMiX platform is completed by a strong bioinformatics pipeline for the analysis of omics big data also representing a unique knowledge base for the investigation of human-microbiome interactions.

The HuMiX platform is a versatile system that could allow to explore other human-microbiome interface such as the human skin, liver and upper respiratory tract microbiome.

Further Details

Shah et al. (2016) Nature Communications 7:11535. ; Giolla Eain et al. (2017) Engineering 3:60-65.;
Wilmes et al. (2018) Current Opinion in Microbiology 44:28-33.;
Greenhalgh et al. (2019) Cell Reports 27:1621-1632.;
Mao et al. (2020) Microbiome 8:53.;
Luccetti et al. (2021) Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research, accepted

Benefits

The only platform covering the entire value chain by offering a microfluidics platform for co-culture including data analysis tools and in-depth expertise
Capable of mimicking the anaerobic gastrointestinal microenvironment
The closest representative model of the human GIT
The combined in silico and in vitro modelling system provides robust data
Modular technology that can explore other human-microbiome interface

Applications

Many questions could be investigated through the HuMiX platform.

Example: what is the molecular effect of a microbiome-based product on human cells after 24h co-culture in HuMiX in a context of inflammation (cytokine secretion, activated pathways in human cells and associated secreted metabolites)?

HuMiX applications

Opportunity

HuMiX Biosciences is willing to partner with key players in the microbiome field to accelerate its technology innovation and with a common goal to look for new and innovative ways to bring forth the next generation of microbiome therapeutics.

HuMiX

Patents

IP Status