Thomas Crouzier
Associate Professor
Department of Health Technology
Building Room
Trained as a biomaterials engineer and bioengineer during my PhD in 2010, my research has focused since around 2011 on mucus and the mucin glycoproteins that form mucus. Approaching this field as an engineer, I became deeply interested in the multifunctional role of the mucus layer that covers all wet epithelial surfaces. Mucus is essential for survival. It protects us from infection, lubricates surfaces so we can blink and swallow, and hosts the trillions of microorganisms living in the gut. Through these interactions, it shapes the microbiome and regulates its activity. Despite this central role, mucus remains poorly understood. Key gaps remain in our understanding of its structure, composition, dynamics, and underlying biology, as well as the specific roles of mucins themselves. Mucins are highly glycosylated proteins with important physiological functions. Beyond their structural role, they display intrinsic bioactivities. By binding to host surface receptors, mucins can modulate immune responses, influence pathogen behavior, and support the growth and function of the microbiome. Understanding these interactions has become a central theme of my work. My research is anchored in mucus engineering. I study how mucus properties can be enhanced or reinforced through topical treatments, and how mucin glycoproteins can be extracted or produced for use as functional biomaterials. A major focus is the delivery of exogenous mucins to mucosal tissues, which I view as a fundamentally new approach to improving mucosal health. This work spans applications in implantable materials and other biomedical uses where mucosal interaction is critical. In 2019, this research led to the spin-out of Cirqle Biomedical, a company funded by the BioInnovation Institute. Cirqle is developing a non-hormonal contraceptive for women that works by cross-linking cervical mucus. The program was partnered with Organon in 2022 and is progressing toward clinical trials. I am also a co-founder and CSO of June Bio, based in Copenhagen. The company focuses on the low-cost, large-scale production of recombinant mucins, with the goal of enabling new treatments that enhance mucosal health through targeted exogenous mucin delivery.