BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0-7691@eng.ufl.edu DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251027T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251027T160000 DTSTAMP:20251201T182101Z URL:https://www.eng.ufl.edu/news-events/events/bme-seminar-multiorgan-micr ophysiological-systems-in-studies-of-immunity-and-metabolism/ SUMMARY:BME Seminar: "Multiorgan MicroPhysiological Systems in Studies of I mmunity and Metabolism" DESCRIPTION:Martin Trapecar\, Ph.D.\nAssistant Professor of Medicine and Bi omedical Engineering\nJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine \n\nAbs tract: The Laboratory of Human Biomimetics engineers donor-matched\, immun ocompetent multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPS) to interrogate how tissue-resident immune niches shape human metabolic and inflammatory resp onses. In this seminar\, I will overview two complementary platforms and t he insights they enable. First\, an autologous gut–liver axis with resid ent immune compartments is coupled to single-cell RNA/TCR profiling of don or-matched colon (intraepithelial and lamina propria)\, liver\, and blood. Controlled challenges (LPS\, poly(I:C)\, 5-OP-RU) reveal that tissue-resi dent T cells exhibit distinct transcriptional states\, clonal architecture s\, and response dynamics compared with circulating cells\, illuminating h ow local niches govern the balance between surveillance and tolerance. Sec ond\, a six-tissue MPS (intestine\, liver\, pancreas\, skeletal muscle\, a dipose\, brain) establishes physiologic inter-organ crosstalk under fastin g- and Western-diet-mimicking conditions and during treatment with metform in (AMPK activation) and semaglutide (GLP-1 agonism). Integrated readouts —multiplex hormones/cytokines\, imaging\, and bulk or single-cell transc riptomics—demonstrate that connected tissues mount more human-like\, coo rdinated responses than isolated cultures: fasting drives hepatic gluconeo genesis with glucagon release\, Western diet elevates insulin and hepatic inflammatory signaling\, and drugs correct dysfunction via mechanistically distinct pathways. Together\, these autologous\, immune-competent models provide a causal bridge between single-cell atlases and organ-level physio logy\, offering a tractable\, human-relevant route to dissect inter-organ inflammatory cascades and immune–metabolic coupling. I will discuss impl ications for inflammatory bowel disease\, metabolic liver disease\, and th erapy evaluation\, and highlight how these platforms advance non-animal me thods\, enable personalized experimentation\, and accelerate discovery of targeted interventions that leverage tissue-resident immune biology.\n\nBi o: Assist. Prof. Martin Trapecar is the leader of the Laboratory of Human Biomimetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and serves as t he associate director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Microphysiological Sy stems. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at the University o f Maribor and pursued postdoctoral training at Gladstone Institutes and th e Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His team is developing new precis ion models of multiorgan human biology and tissue-resident immune environm ents to learn how interorgan crosstalk navigates autoimmunity\, metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration.. The laboratory is supported by the NIH M IRA Award\, funding from NASA and DOD as well as collaborations with indus try partners. CATEGORIES:Seminars LOCATION:Communicore Room C1-7\, 1249 Center Dr.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32610 \, United States GEO:29.640849;-82.34479 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=1249 Center Dr.\, Gainesvil le\, FL\, 32610\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Communicore Roo m C1-7:geo:29.640849,-82.34479 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250309T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR