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 £12M of research funding since opening in 2019.

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

Completed Projects

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)

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)

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)

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

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)