"Our human Vagina Chip offers an attractive solution to study host-microbiome interactions and accelerate the development of potential probiotic treatments," which work by introducing beneficial bacteria into the vagina, said Mahajan, who now works at the organ-on-a-chip company Emulate, Inc. in Boston.The Vagina Chip device measures only 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) long and contains donated cells from two women; the cells were collected from the lining of the vagina and from the connective tissue that runs beneath the lining, according to The New York Times (opens in new tab).With their device complete, the team ran several tests with bacteria commonly found in the vagina, namely, several strains of Lactobacillus bacteria; studies suggest that these microbes make up more than 70% of a healthy vagina's microbiome, according to the Wyss Institute statement.BV increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, both of which can negatively affect future fertility by triggering a harmful inflammation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (opens in new tab) (CDC).The chip offers an advantage over testing therapies in lab animals like mice, whose vaginal microbiomes greatly differ from humans'; in addition, it's historically been difficult for drug developers to recruit human patients for BV treatment trials, partly due to patients' concerns over safety, experts told the Times."