Introduction
InnoGI Technologies a leading Contract Research Organization (CRO) specializing in gastrointestinal (GI) modeling, today announced promising results from a validation study of its enhanced in vitro colon model, TIM-2muc.
By incorporating a physiologically relevant mucus layer, the upgraded system allows researchers to simultaneously investigate both the mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) and luminal microbiota (LM), enabling new opportunities for non-invasive, preclinical gut microbiome research in nutrition and oral drug development.
Understanding the Mucus Layer and Its Importance
The mucus in the GI-tract forms a viscoelastic gel that aids in nutrient absorption, supports beneficial host–microbe interactions, and protects against pathogens. This layer is home to the mucosa-associated microbiome (MAM), a distinct microbial community that interacts closely with the gut lining. The MAM and luminal microbiome (LM) collectively shape gut health by modulating behavior of immune cell function, maintaining barrier integrity, and influencing metabolic activity.
Also, the intestinal microbiome interacts with our food, but also with orally administered drugs. Some drugs can affect the abundance of specific bacterial species in the microbiome, while other drugs depend on the microbiome to achieve their therapeutic effects.
Disruption of either the LM or MAM is associated with pathological conditions and human diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The MAM differs from the LM and fecal microbiota in both composition and function, and can be used to distinguish between healthy intestinal states and disorders. However, current methods for studying the MAM are invasive and lack representative accuracy
Introducing TIM-2muc: Modeling the Gut More Completely
InnoGI’s TIM-2 system has long served as a trusted model for simulating large intestinal conditions, including pH control, temperature regulation, peristalsis, and continuous metabolite removal through a dialysis membrane – maintaining a healthy, stable microbiome. The addition of a physiologically relevant mucus interface to create TIM-2muc represents a major advancement, enabling researchers to monitor LM and MAM communities simultaneously in a controlled, TIM-2muc non-invasive setting.
As a result, the enhanced TIM-2muc model supports more predictive preclinical testing for drug development, nutritional interventions, and microbiome-targeted therapies.
Gut3beads™: A Physiologically Accurate Mucus Interface
Developed in exclusive collaboration with Bac3Gel, the Gut3beads™ mucus matrix chemically and structurally mimics native human mucus. This innovation supports more realistic microbial colonization and growth, enabling a closer match to the in vivo microbiota. By replicating mucus chemistry and micro-gradients, Gut3beads™ allows for the culture of complex microbial communities that are essential to gut health.
Validation Results: TIM-2muc Reflects In Vivo Findings
To evaluate whether TIM-2muc accurately models the MAM, InnoGI compared microbial composition and diversity across LM and MAM in both TIM-2muc and the standard TIM-2 model. The results were benchmarked against established in vivo data from human studies.
Results:
- 16S sequencing analysis showed a distinct microbial composition in the MAM vs. LM, consistent with literature. MAM samples had higher levels of Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria.
- LM samples were enriched in Firmicutes indicating that microbial community composition in LM and MAM differs significantly which is in line with the literature.
- Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed to assess metabolic activity. TIM-2muc showed a higher relative proportion of butyrate, a key metabolite linked to colonic health, while acetate and propionate were lower.
Non-Invasive, Accurate, and Standardized MAM Research
“Collecting MAM is usually an invasive procedure.”
said Dr. Maitrayee Chatterjee, Senior Scientist and mucus expert at InnoGI Technologies, who led the mucus integration project in collaboration with Dr. Katja Lange.
“But with our technology it is non-invasive, accurate, and standardized, by including mucus in our system, we now offer a more physiologically accurate model, enabling even better prediction of how oral therapeutics and novel food products will interact in the human gut.”
About InnoGI Technologies
InnoGI Technologies provides innovative services to the pharmaceutical and food industries, specializing in advanced GI modeling. By mimicking the full GI tract with our cutting-edge TIM Technology Platform, we deliver predictive, physiologically relevant insights into drug delivery, nutrient absorption, and microbiome interaction. We help our partners precisely understand how their oral products behave in the gut, reduce development risks, accelerate time to market with data-driven decisions, and move forward confidently—while supporting a future with less reliance on animal testing.
Learn More
Access the full validation study for the TIM-2muc model here
Interested in learning more?
Contact us at info@innogitechnologies.com to speak directly with one of our technical experts.