QM+Emulate Centre Research Projects

The Queen Mary+Emulate Organs-on-Chips Centre hosts an expanding range of research and development projects and has helped win over £3M of research funding since opening in 2019. The Centre is open for use by external academic institutions and industry and can help support research projects by providing access to Emulate facilities, support from our Centre Scientists and routes to commercialisation.

On this page:

Current projects
Completed projects

Current Projects

Development of an arterial organ-chip to study the role of primary cilia in atherosclerosis

Primary Investigator:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigator:	Prof Hazel Screen Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	China Scholarship Council

Cells growing within the Emulate kidney chip -https://emulatebio.com/kidney-chip/

Development of an organ-chip to study regulation of primary cilia mechanobiology as novel treatment of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Primary Investigator:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigator:	Prof Cleo Bishop Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	EPSRC

Human synovium-cartilage organ-chip for personalised surgical screening

Primary Investigator:	Dr Tim Hopkins Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigator:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	Versus Arthritis

Mechanical regulation of synociocyte response

Mechanical regulation of synoviocyte response to pro-inflammatory cytokines and development of a synovium-cartilage chip

Primary Investigator:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigators:	Prof Hazel Screen Queen Mary University of London
	Dr Clare Thompson Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	CONACyT PhD Studentship (2019-2023)

Novel Models of Tendinopathy on a Chip

Primary Investigator:	Prof Hazel Screen Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigators:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
	Dr Clare Thompson Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	CONACyT PhD Studentship (2019-2023)

Organ-on-a-chip model to investigate breast cancer bone metastases

Primary Investigator:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigator:	Dr Oliver Pearce Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Funder:	Cancer Research UK & EPSRC (Multidisciplinary Award)

Organ-on-a-chip models for safety testing of regenerative medicine products

Primary Investigator:	Prof Hazel Screen Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigators:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
	Prof Alicia El Haj University of Birmingham
Funder:	MRC Medical Research Council

Planned bone organ-chip layout, showing tunable 3D matrix

Tuneable mechanical microenvironments for organ-chip models - a case study in bone

Primary Investigator:	Dr Stefaan Verbruggen Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigator:	Prof Hazel Screen Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	Emulate+Network Proof of Concept Award

Completed Projects

Staging of bladder cancer (https://www.macmillan.org.uk/)

Emulate-Bladder: A new dynamic in vitro human bladder model

Primary Investigator:	Prof Mark Chambers University of Surrey
Co-investigators:	Prof Hardev Pandha University of Surrey
	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
	Dr Guy Simpson University of Surrey
	Dr Clare Thompson Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	The Organ-on-a-chip Technologies Network

Generation and validation of a urine-derived, personalised kidney-on-chip model for kidney disease and nephrotoxicity.

Primary Investigator:	Prof John Sayer Newcastle University
Co-investigator:	Dr Elisa Molinari Newcastle University
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Understanding the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction in severe COVID-19

Primary Investigator:	Prof Daniel Pennington Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Co-investigator:	Dr Neil McKarthy Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Funder:	Emulate Covid19 Initiative

Modelling anti-fungal immunity in the human intestine

Primary Investigator:	Dr Neil McCarthy Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Co-investigators:	Prof Carol Munro University of Aberdeen
	Prof Daniel Pennington Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Investigating the role of tumour associated myeloid cells on malignant cell invasion in a metastatic high-grade serous ovarian cancer-on-chip model

Primary Investigator:	Prof Fran Balkwill Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigator:	Dr Mina Mincheva Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Development of a human placental artery-on-a-chip to study placental vascular function in reproductive toxicology and pregnancy diseases

Primary Investigator:	Dr Teresa TROPEA University of Manchester
Co-investigators:	Dr Paul Brownbill University of Manchester
	Dr Virginia Pensebene University of Leeds
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Advancing Human Synovial Joint Chips

Primary Investigator:	Dr Karina Wright Keele University
Co-investigators:	Prof Sally Roberts Keele University
	Dr Charlotte Hulme Keele University
	Dr Clare Thompson Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Cells of the intestinal lining in Emulate's intestine chip, image credit Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute

Interrogating the role of hydrolases on colonic barrier dysfunction

Primary Investigator:	Dr Rachael Barry Imperial College London
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Establishing an 'old' and 'young' alveolar model to assess the impact of senescence on immunity to viruses

Primary Investigator:	Dr Emma Chambers Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Development of a synovium-chondrocyte organ-on-a-chip model with integrated biomechanical stimulation

Primary Investigator:	Prof Hazel Screen Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigators:	Dr Clare Thompson Queen Mary University of London
	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	EPSRC OA Tech Network Plus - Pump Priming Grant

Feasibility study to assess the use of organ-on-a-chip technology for optimization of radiotherapy cancer treatment.

Primary Investigator:	Prof Giuseppe Schettino University of Surrey
Co-investigators:	Dr Eirini Velliou University of Surrey
	Dr Priyanka Gupta University of Surrey
	Dr Miriam Barry National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
	Ms Chiara De Lucia University of Surrey / NPL
Funder:	The Organ-on-a-Chip Technologies Network

Ciliated cells inside Emulates Lung chip

Production and validation of a bovine lung-on-a-chip to study bovine respiratory diseases

Primary Investigator:	Prof Mark Chambers University of Surrey
Co-investigators:	Dr Diane Lee University of Surrey
	Prof Geoff Smith North Carolina State University
	Prof Ronald Baynes North Carolina State University
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Precision reprogramming of immune cell metabolism to reduce inflammation and repolarise organ microenvironment using small molecules and metabolic intermediates.

Primary Investigator:	Dr Kataryzna Swist-Szulik Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital
Funder:	Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC)

Hepatocytes cultured in Emulate's Liver chip

Investigating the diagnostic and drug-screening potential of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition during liver fibrosis.

Primary Investigator:	Dr Neil Dufton William Harvey Research Institute – QMUL
Co-investigator:	Dr James Whiteford William Harvey Research Institute – QMUL
Funder:	Emulate/Organ-on-a-chip Network Proof-of-concept Award

Development of an organ-on-a-chip model for bone

Primary Investigator:	Prof Martin Knight Queen Mary University of London
Co-investigators:	Dr Cleo Bishop Queen Mary University of London
	Dr Stefaan Verbruggen Queen Mary University of London
Funder:	BBSRC LIDo PhD Studentship (Rotation project)