Dr. Ola Gutzeit of Rambam Hospital has developed an organ-on-a-chip model of the female reproductive system to study its complexities and address challenges in fertility. The model has revealed significant tasks for communication between the cervix and the vagina, including the influence of their microbiomes on each other and the role of the cervix in treating recurrent infections. Gutzeit is also using the model to examine the link between bacteria and infertility, discovering certain bacterial environments that kill or impair sperm activity. She is working on developing organelles that can be transplanted to preserve fertility and make in-vitro fertilization easier. Gutzeit's research is part of the Israeli Translational Research Network at Rambam Hospital.