Group Sellin Receives FORMAS Support to Build a Zoo of Organoids for Gut Infection Research

The spread of pathogenic gut bacteria among farm animals, and from there onwards to humans, poses a significant challenge for the agricultural sector. The research council FORMAS just announced support for a research project to better understand the molecular basis for this pervasive problem.

The project will establish gut organoids - miniature replicas of the intestinal tract – from major farm animal species, such as pig and cow. Using these and corresponding organoid models of the human gut, the researchers will tease apart the traits that make aggressive bacteria capable of colonizing, and jumping between, the guts of agricultural animals and human consumers. The project is a collaboration between Group Sellin at Uppsala University and colleagues at SLU Uppsala.

FORMAS project: “Cross species Organoid Modelling of Enteropathogen Spread within the Agri-Food Chain”; 6 MSEK for period 2026 – 2030. Main applicant: Mikael Sellin, IMBIM, Uppsala University. Co-applicants: Eva Tydén and Johan Dicksved, SLU Uppsala.

Link to Formas website