Healthy function of the gut microenvironment is dependent on complex interactions between the bacteria of the microbiome, epithelial and immune (host) cells, and the surrounding tissue. Misregulation of these interactions is implicated in disease. A range of tools have been developed to study these interactions, from mechanistic studies to therapeutic evaluation. In this Digest, we highlight select tools at the cellular and molecular level for probing specific cell-microenvironment interactions. Approaches are overviewed for controlling and probing cell-cell interactions, from transwell and microfluidic devices to engineered bacterial peptidoglycan fragments, and cell-matrix interactions, from three-dimensional scaffolds to chemical handles for in situ modifications.

肠道微环境的健康功能取决于微生物组细菌，上皮和免疫（宿主）细胞以及周围组织之间的复杂相互作用。这些相互作用的调节异常与疾病有关。从机械研究到治疗评估，已经开发了一系列工具来研究这些相互作用。在本摘要中，我们重点介绍了在细胞和分子水平上用于探测特定细胞与微环境相互作用的精选工具。概述了用于控制和探测细胞与细胞之间相互作用的方法，从跨孔和微流体装置到工程细菌肽聚糖片段，以及从三维支架到化学处理的细胞基质相互作用，以进行原位修饰。