PhD program on Barrier function

The mostly used models to study host-microbiome interactions are murine models. However, the reliability of mice as model organisms for human skin diseases is limited, as their skin greatly differs from human skin in structure, function and genetic make-up. The poor correlation of murine data to skin diseases e.g., acne vulgaris and atopic dermatitis can result in compound attrition in later stages of costly clinical trials resulting in insufficient effective treatments. Therefore, improving the preclinical screening process is paramount to pharmaceutical industry. To study host-microbiome interactions in diseases such as acne and atopic dermatitis, or for personal health, both two- and three-dimensional organ culture approaches are readily available.