Targeting inflammatory pathways in asthma utilising an alveolar lung-on-a-chip model

About the Project

Asthma is a chronic lung condition and currently there are 7.2million people in the UK with the disease. Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lung which results in airway remodelling, loss of elasticity, airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus hyperplasia. Asthma pathology is driven by a combination of lung stromal cells such as epithelial cells as well as lung resident immune cells such as macrophages, mast cells and T cells.

Currently scientists study asthma either using mouse models of disease or static air-liquid-interphase culture systems – limitations to both these models mean they do not fully recapitulate human asthmatic lung mechanobiology. Therefore, there is a clear unmet need to develop more physiological lung models which model the human asthmatic lung including, relevant biophysical cues and immune cells. Preliminary data has shown that the EMULATE alveolar chip model recreates the human lung most effectively, with immune cells flowing through the endothelium and stretch caused by breathing recreated.

The overarching aim of this project is to engineer a novel asthma model using the EMULATE alveolar-chip platform.

To achieve this the following experimental aims are proposed:

1. Adapt the EMULATE alveolar-chip to model asthma, utilising asthma patient cell lines and disease mimicking biophysical cues (impaired stretch and fluid flow).
2. Incorporate myeloid cells into the model to make the asthma EMULATE model immune responsive.
3. Investigate the interplay between mechanical cues and immune cells in asthma disease severity/progression.
4. Test anti-inflammatory drugs using the immune responsive asthma EMULATE model to determine if inflammatory pathways are reduced.

Overall, this project will establish a novel asthma lung on a chip model with an immune cell component which can be used to test novel anti-inflammatory therapies. In addition, the studies will provide new insight into the mechanobiology of asthma progression.

This project is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Next Generation Organ on a Chip Technology (COaCT)

Who should apply?

We are looking for students who have an enthusiasm for organ-on-a-chip technologies, with a range of backgrounds including biology, biochemistry, genetics, materials science, biomedical engineering and other related subjects. Students should have some experimental background and enthusiasm for working in the laboratory. Applicants are not expected to have experience in all elements of this field; training will be provided as part of the PhD to support the development of important skills.

Application Process

Applications for this project are through the COaCT admissions process. Applicants are asked to make one application to the COaCT and list their project preferences from all project currently available as listed here: http://www.cpm.qmul.ac.uk/cdt/projects/projects2026open

The process is explained in detail here: http://www.cpm.qmul.ac.uk/cdt/applications/stepbystep

Funding Notes

The successful applicants will be fully funded (fees and stipend). For 2026/27, the annual stipend rate, including London Allowance, will be £23,805.