Highly-predictive cell-based analysis using biodegradable transfection technology

The project will deliver new tools that can be used to test potential new drugs, food constituents with possible health benefit, and which also offer a new approach to measuring the effect on human health of particles present in our domestic or workplace environment. These tools will be based upon living cells that are placed in situations where they reproduce the function of the lung or the digestive tract surfaces. To measure the response of these cells to challenge by the test materials, the project will, as one of its prime objectives, introduce reporting systems into the cells that allow their state of health and functions to be measured without disturbance, over the duration of an experiment. The proprietary techniques for introducing these reporters will be a prime focus of the project, as will the new cell models that are used to demonstrate the power of the combined technologies. The project outputs will have wide application across the pharmaceutical, food and other industry sectors.