Congratulations to Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal of the Scojen Institute for Synthetic Biology on winning a research grant from the BSF-NSF — a joint program of the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation and the U.S. National Science Foundation that aims to promote research collaborations between Israeli and American academics.
This study will investigate the role of invasive and pathogenic strains of intestinal bacteria in disrupting the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Bacterial interference with intestinal integrity is associated with the development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease. Recent lab studies conducted by Dr. Kolodkin-Gal and her partners have indicated that specific changes in the chemical properties of mucin — the polysaccharide that forms the intestine’s primary protective layer — are markers of bacterial intervention in inflammatory bowel disease.
Given the complexity of microbial interactions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the researchers’ proposed approach is unprecedented. They aim to create a novel mucin-on-a-chip specifically designed for IBD research that can provide insights into limiting the bacterial drivers of the disease. This represents a paradigm shift, proposing that targeted therapies in gut bacterial communities can be used to treat chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
The research is being carried out in collaboration with co-grantees Prof. Hadar Ben-Yoav of Ben-Gurion University and Prof. Thomas Wood of Penn State University.