Our latest paper “The Role of Human Intestinal Mucus in the Prevention of Microplastic Uptake and Cell Damage” is now published in RSC Biomaterials Science. This work was led by PhD candidate Ellen van Wijngaarden, who is co-advised by Prof Ilana Brito of Cornell’s BME department. We used intact human intestinal mucus layers to best match in vivo material properties and study the effects of microplastics on cells. Our study investigated a broad range of microplastic sizes and materials and identified specific compositions that pose an increased risk to human health.  This work highlights the protective role of the intestinal mucus layer in preventing cell cytotoxicity, inflammation, and particle uptake due to microplastics and the toxins they may carry.