EVOM™ Auto Featured in Peer-Reviewed Publication on Intestinal Toxicology
A new study from Johnson & Johnson demonstrates automated TEER as a core readout for human colonoid-derived monolayer research. EVOM™ systems have over 9,000 citations, and the legacy automated TEER system (REMS) had over 110 publications.
This new peer-reviewed publication featuring the EVOM™ Auto was published this month in Toxicology in Vitro. Titled “Harnessing human colonoid-derived monolayers as an in vitro platform for investigating accumulation, toxicity, and pharmacodynamics of small molecules,” the study was led by scientists at Johnson & Johnson’s Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety teams in Belgium and Pennsylvania.
The research team used automated TEER as a core functional readout to evaluate human colonoid-derived monolayers (hCDMs) against conventional Caco-2 monolayers, generating high-throughput, reproducible barrier integrity measurements that deepened their understanding of epithelial physiology, drug-induced toxicity, and pharmacodynamic response. The study adds to a growing body of evidence that automated TEER strengthens complex in vitro model workflows and elevates the translational relevance of intestinal safety and disposition research, while also demonstrating the value of organoid-based models for in vitro toxicology.
What Automated TEER Contributed to This Study
- Automated TEER enabled high-throughput, reproducible barrier-integrity monitoring across 96-well human colonoid-derived monolayers (hCDMs) and Caco-2 monolayers, supporting consistent comparisons between the two models.
- It provided a functional readout of epithelial health and experimental quality control during expansion, differentiation, and drug exposure, confirming when hCDMs reached physiological tight-junction formation before experiments began.
- It added mechanistic insight to toxicity assays by revealing barrier disruption patterns that complemented viability endpoints and highlighted model-specific sensitivity to diarrheagenic compounds.
- It improved model qualification by demonstrating that hCDMs maintain a physiological barrier (332 Ω·cm²) and respond to toxicants in a clinically relevant manner, an improvement over Caco-2 monolayers.
- It supported integrated PK/PD evaluation, allowing drug accumulation to be assessed in the context of intact versus compromised epithelial barrier function.
More EVOM™ Auto Peer-Reviewed Publications
This is the fourth peer-reviewed publication to feature the EVOM™ Auto, with a fifth currently under review and available as a preprint on bioRxiv.
● Under peer review, published on bioRxiv: Peddibhotla, S., et al. (2025). High-throughput human gut immune co-culture model for evaluating inflammatory bowel disease anti-inflammatory therapies. bioRxiv.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the EVOM™ Auto?
The EVOM™ Auto is an automated transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurement system used to assess barrier integrity in cell and tissue culture models, including organoid-derived monolayers.
What are human colonoid-derived monolayers (hCDMs)?
hCDMs are polarized epithelial monolayers grown from human colon-derived stem cells. They are increasingly used as a more physiologically relevant alternative to immortalized cell lines like Caco-2 for studying intestinal drug disposition and toxicity.
Why does automated TEER matter for organoid research?
Automated TEER allows researchers to monitor barrier integrity across many wells at once, providing a consistent functional readout that supports quality control, model qualification, and mechanistic interpretation of toxicity data.
How does this study compare hCDMs to Caco-2 monolayers?
The study found that hCDMs maintain a physiological barrier resistance of approximately 332 Ω·cm² and respond to toxicants in a more clinically relevant manner than Caco-2 monolayers, supporting their use for integrated toxicity and pharmacodynamic evaluation.