Larner College of Medicine

Dani Brasino

Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics

Gut Microbiome and Cancer Interactions

PRONOUNS she/her

danielle.brasino@med.uvm.edu
person smiling
danielle.brasino@med.uvm.edu

Stafford 208
95 Carrigan Drive
Burlington, VT 05405
United States
uMicrobiome Lab
Pronouns she/her
Alma mater(s)
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Colorado
  • B.S., Nutrition Science, University of Texas
Affiliated Department(s)

Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics

UVM Cancer Center

Areas of expertise

gut microbiome, cell culture models, microbiome-disease interactions.

BIO

Following a B.S. in Nutrition Science and at the University of Texas, Dani Brasino acquired a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado. At CU, she developed synthetic phospholipids as part of an artificial cell project and acquired experience in microfluidics fabrication. Combining these experiences, she led development of a novel polycarbonate-based organ-on-chip platform as a postdoc at Oregon Health and Science University. Now her lab, the μMicrobiome Lab, aims to further develop and apply gut microbiome-on-chips to study the relationship between the human gut microbiome, distal disease progression, and therapeutic efficacy.

  • B.S. Nutrition Science at University of Texas
  • At UT, gained research experience in the lab of Stephen Hursting contributing to in vitro and in vivo studies of dietary impacts on breast and pancreatic cancer progression.
  • Doctoral research in the lab of Christopher Bowman at the University of Colorado. Thesis research focused on the development of manipulable synthetic phospholipids using photo-and click-chemistries. These lipids were integrated into membranes as part of a multi-university, artificial cell project.  
  • Starting in 2018, postdoctoral research began at the new Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) Center within the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.  Beyond contributions to multiple research projects as part of the center’s collaborative structure, her primary research centered around the development of a polycarbonate-based organ-on-chip platform to enable host-microbe interaction studies between the gut microbiome and distal disease.
  • Joined the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in August 2024.

Publications

Google Scholar Publications

Bio

Following a B.S. in Nutrition Science and at the University of Texas, Dani Brasino acquired a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado. At CU, she developed synthetic phospholipids as part of an artificial cell project and acquired experience in microfluidics fabrication. Combining these experiences, she led development of a novel polycarbonate-based organ-on-chip platform as a postdoc at Oregon Health and Science University. Now her lab, the μMicrobiome Lab, aims to further develop and apply gut microbiome-on-chips to study the relationship between the human gut microbiome, distal disease progression, and therapeutic efficacy.

  • B.S. Nutrition Science at University of Texas
  • At UT, gained research experience in the lab of Stephen Hursting contributing to in vitro and in vivo studies of dietary impacts on breast and pancreatic cancer progression.
  • Doctoral research in the lab of Christopher Bowman at the University of Colorado. Thesis research focused on the development of manipulable synthetic phospholipids using photo-and click-chemistries. These lipids were integrated into membranes as part of a multi-university, artificial cell project.  
  • Starting in 2018, postdoctoral research began at the new Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) Center within the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.  Beyond contributions to multiple research projects as part of the center’s collaborative structure, her primary research centered around the development of a polycarbonate-based organ-on-chip platform to enable host-microbe interaction studies between the gut microbiome and distal disease.
  • Joined the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in August 2024.

Publications

Google Scholar Publications

Select Publications

  • Brasino, D. S. K.*, Speese, S. D., Schilling, K., Schutt, C. E. & Barton, M. C. A Linkable, Polycarbonate Gut Microbiome-Distal Tumor Chip Platform for Interrogating Cancer Promoting Mechanisms. Adv. Sci. 2024, 2309220. PMCID: PMC11425243. 
  • Sousa MGC, Brasino DSK, Krieger M, Dindar DA, Duhen R, Zhang Z, Franca CM, Bertassoni LE. Host-microbe-cancer interactions on-a-chip. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2025;13:1505963. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1505963. PMID: 40230461; PMCID: PMC11994592. 
  • Konetski, D.; Zhang, D.; Schwartz, D.K.; Bowman, C.N. Photo-induced Pinocytosis for Artificial and Proto-Cell Systems. Chem. Mater. 2018, 30, 8757-8763. 
  • Konetski, D.; Baranek, A.; Mavila, S.; Zhang, X.; Bowman, C.N. Formation of Lipid Vesicles in Situ Utilizing the Thiol-Michael Reaction. Soft Matter 2018, 14, 7645-7652. PMID: 30175341. 
  • Konetski, D.; Worrell, B.; Wang, C.; Mavila, S.; Bowman, C.N. Production of Dynamic Lipid Bilayers Using the Reversible Thiol-Thioester Exchange Reaction. Chem. Commun. 2018, 54, 8108-8111. PMID: 29972159.

Lab Team

Jake Spiegler - Laboratory Technician, jake.spiegler@uvm.edu
Ethan Putnam - PhD Graduate Student
Alina Staten - Undergraduate Researcher