Airway-on-a-chip screens drugs for use against COVID-19

To screen drugs against viruses like SARS-CoV-2, researchers often use human cell lines grown in the lab. These are easy to work with and relatively inexpensive. However, they can‘t replicate the complex environment of a living organ, such as the lungs. To help overcome this challenge, a research team led by Dr. Donald Ingber from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University has been developing organ chips for more accurate screening of drugs to treat infections.