Bacteria: Friend or Foe?

This is the central question driving the Friend or Foe Project, led by Katja Wolthers, co-head of OrganoVIR Labs. In collaboration with researchers at Wageningen University and RIVM, our team will explore how bacteria interact with viruses in organoid models. Are bacteria protecting us from harmful viruses, or are they working alongside viruses?

To kick off this exciting research, Katja, along with Adithya Sridhar and Nina Johannesson, visited Prof. Hauke Smidt at the UNLOCK facility at Wageningen University to deepen their understanding of bacterial communities and behavior. This critical knowledge will inform the next phase of the project, where bacteria will be introduced into organoids cultured at OrganoVIR Labs, with support from Susanna Fuentes and Nening Nonlohij at RIVM.

“It was a fantastic opportunity for our research team to learn about the possibilities of such a high-tech facility for assembling and understanding complex bacterial cultures,  which will play a key role in this project,” said Katja. “The atmosphere and energy at Wageningen University were truly inspiring, and I’m excited to see where this research takes us.”

Stay tuned for more updates as we dive deeper into the Friend or Foe Project!

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