The biophysical properties of cervical mucus (A, white arrow) such as extensibility (B) and permeability (C), can signify health and disease states of mucosal epithelia, as we have shown with the example of preterm birth [28]. This technology will be applied broadly for the diagnostics also of other epithelia such as in the digestive tract, which I expect will have important implications for understanding disease progression, and directing the design of intervention strategies.
