An in vitro model system for testing chemical effects on microbiome-immune interactions – examples with BPX and PFAS mixtures

Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, in Germany, have developed an in vitro model to investigate how environmental chemicals, such as bisphenols (BPX) and PFAS mixtures, affect the interactions between the microbiome and immune system. Using the Multifors bench-top bioreactor, they demonstrated that chronic chemical exposure can alter immune cell activation without affecting microbial community structure.