CISMM

The lung is the site of gas exchange with the bloodstream, and maintaining the necessarily large surface area of a gas/liquid interface free of pathogens is a truly remarkable feat. From the first breath, tissue layers in contact become separated to allow the inflow of gas. Without a molecular layer of surfactant, this separation is impossible. Once gas flow into the lung is established and maintained in the newborn, the next challenge emerges. Each hour the lung inhales millions of pathogens that must be cleared before infection ensues. This is achieved through the trapping of the pathogens in a viscoelastic layer of mucus, and the subsequent flow of mucus, through air and ciliary propulsion, out of the lung. The failure of this clearance mechanism is fatal. CISMM supports three projects within the Lung Cluster studying these phenomena.

The Virtual Lung Project is creating an integrated model of mucus clearance.
Biophysical Properties of Mucus is studying the polymer physics and biology of mucus.
Lung Surfactant Rheology is developing tools for measuring the rheology of molecular monolayers.
Microfluidic and Biomimetic Cilia Systems are providing new insights into biological cilia and fluid flow.