A new study developed a lung-on-a-chip that was grows from genetically identical cells using a single human stem cell. In the U.S., tuberculosis isn’t a medical crisis that is front of mind (though numbers of infections in the country are rising). According to the World Health Organization, 10.7 million people were infected with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 2024, and 1.23 million died from the disease. Because this new lung-on-a-chip consists of identical cells developed from a single human stem cell, the platform can now provide ways for scientists to test different genetic reactions to TB’s spread. “We removed the ATG14 gene, which is involved in a natural process for degrading damaged cells and foreign materials.