Welcome to the show where we delve into the fascinating world of how our bodies fight off invaders! In this episode, we explore groundbreaking research using a cutting-edge liver-on-chip model to understand how the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus can cleverly hide within our immune cells, specifically macrophages, in the liver. We'll uncover how different types of these immune cells, known as M1 and M2 polarized macrophages, have varying success in dealing with this persistent bug, with M2 macrophages unfortunately providing a more welcoming environment for the bacteria to survive and even change form into sneaky small colony variants (SCVs). Join us as we unravel the intricate dance between bacteria and our immune system, shedding light on how these microscopic battles can influence the course of infections and potentially lead to long-term challenges