The dual oxic-anoxic co-culture platform (DOAC) was first developed in the Hunter lab to investigate the dynamics of host-microbe interactions in the context of the hypoxic environment of the lung of those with cystic fibrosis (CF). Prime among some of the pathogens associated with cystic fibrosis, and a drug-resistant bacterium common among most adults with CF, is the Gram negative P. aeruginosa. I perform infections of host-relevant cells using P. aeruginosa in the DOAC to conduct dual RNA-seq. I have used this data and subsequent experiments for the past year and a half to define host-microbe interactions and how well the P. aeruginosa transcriptomic profile in our model replicates in vivo sputum. Which contributes to the broader goal of the lab of defining how respiratory pathogens respond to the chemical environment of the host and identifying the components of the in situ environment most critical to escalating disease progression.

Ryan Hunter, PhD