A novel on-a-chip system with a 3D-bioinspired gut mucus suitable to investigate bacterial endotoxins dynamics

The possible pathogenic impact of pro-inflammatory molecules produced by the gut microbiota is one of the hypotheses considered at the basis of the biomolecular dialogue governing the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Among these molecules, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) produced by Gram-negative gut microbiota strains may have a potential key role due to their toxic effects in both the gut and the brain. In this work, we engineered a new dynamic fluidic system, the MINERVA device (MI-device), with the potential to advance the current knowledge of the biological mechanisms regulating the microbiota-gut molecular crosstalk. The MI-device supported the growth of bacteria that are part of the intestinal microbiota under dynamic conditions within a 3D moving mucus model, with features comparable to the physiological conditions (storage modulus of 80 ± 19 Pa, network mesh size of 41 ± 3 nm), without affecting their viability ($$ 10⁹ bacteria/mL). The integration of a fluidically optimized and user-friendly design with a bioinspired microenvironment enabled the sterile extraction and quantification of the LPS produced within the mucus by bacteria (from 423 ± 34 ng/mL to 1785 ± 91 ng/mL). Compatibility with commercially available Transwell-like inserts allows the user to precisely control the transport phenomena that occur between the two chambers by selecting the pore density of the insert membrane without changing the design of the system. The MI-device is able to provide the flow of sterile medium enriched with LPS directly produced by bacteria, opening up the possibility of studying the effects of bacteria-derived molecules on cells in depth, as well as the assessment and characterization of their effects in a physiological or pathological scenario.