Our research focuses on understanding how cell-cell communication interactions influence women’s health and disease, and pathogenesis in the upper respiratory tract. Our laboratory creates and implements microdroplets and other microfluidic platforms to study interactions and behavior as subcommunities and at a single-cell level. Single-cell analysis gives higher granularity for investigating heterogeneity within and between populations and on fitness of the population. Environmental cues of interest include those from other microbes, the host, pharmaceuticals, and contaminants of emerging concern. As we continue to collect data, we will build models and create technologies for preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases.

Heterogeneity in PhrA gene expression in Streptococcus pneumoniae investigates the heritability of PhrA expression at the single-cell level in Streptococcus pneumoniae. S. pneumoniae is a major cause of meningitis worldwide. Many studies have been done to identify therapeutic medications for meningitis, but a lack of understanding of the disease progression makes it challenging. Therefore, to understand the disease, researchers have examined virulent genes in S. pneumoniae at a cellular level.  This project aims to build upon earlier research that identified differences in PhrA (a virulent gene) expression and demonstrated that higher levels of PhrA expression alter bacterial behavior, which in turn increases S. pneumoniae virulence and enhances its survival in the host. We plan to use droplet microfluidics to understand the role of PhrA in disease severity and transmission by encapsulating and observing S. pneumoniae single cells using fluorescence imaging, and then comparing expression of PhrA in parental and offspring cells. If the outcome shows high levels of heritability, this information can help in identifying new therapeutic drugs.

Our cutting-edge research uses droplet microfluidics to explore how Lactobacillus crispatus, a key vaginal bacterium, fights cervical cancer cells (CCC) at the single-cell level. These precision-engineered droplets, each just 1/10th the width of a human hair, create thousands of miniature labs, where we mimic the body’s natural environment while tracking gene changes in real time. By encapsulating CCC with these bacteria in microdroplets, we aim to uncover how L. crispatus turns off cancer-promoting genes (MYC, HPV E6/E7) and boosts protective signals (IL-10). This high-tech approach could revolutionize prevention strategies, offering new ways to harness the power of beneficial microbes against cancer.

The vaginal microbiome is a complex micro ecosystem that houses great diversity in bacterial types and their respective quantities. While the abundance and type of bacteria have been quantified in consortia as biotic and dysbiotic, the direct interactions between most bacterial species have yet to be quantified. Using organ-on-a-chip technology, I aim to study the interactions between Lactobacillus iners, a less abundant lactic acid-producing bacterium found in “optimal” consortia, and Gardnerella vaginallis, a bacterium whose abundance indicates dysbiosis, through mimicking in vivo conditions on a chip. This research will expand the knowledge base of the inner workings of the vaginal microbiome with the goal of eventually developing new treatment options for bacterial vaginosis.

We are investigating whether the heterogeneity seen in the expression of the TprA/PhrA gene in Streptococcus pneumoniae is heritable, meaning the progeny of a cell with high levels of expression continue to demonstrate higher levels of expression and conversely, the progeny of pneumococcal cells with low levels of expression continue to demonstrate lower levels of gene expression. Approaching this question through droplet encapsulation allows us to isolate and observe singular cells providing unique insight into cellular communication and expression. Furthermore, the TprA/PhrA pathway plays an important role in pneumococcal virulence because it enables the metabolism of galactose, the main sugar found in the human nasopharynx, giving high expressing cells a selective advantage. So, in answering the question of heritability of TprA/PhrA heterogeneity, we get one step closer to understanding what makes certain strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae more dangerous at the cellular level.

This project investigates the effectiveness of Metronidazole treatment in modulating vaginal microbiome dysbiosis using a vagina-on-a-chip model. The study aims to evaluate changes in microbial community composition in a controlled model of bacterial vaginosis, with a specific focus on how Metronidazole influences both Lactobacillus iners and Gardnerella species. It also examines how human vaginal epithelial cells respond to dysbiosis, including cell injuries, inflammatory signaling, and biofilm formation. These finding provides insight into improving treatment outcomes for recurrent bacterial vaginosis and supports the development of more targeted and effective clinical therapies.