Overview
Topic status: In progress
Brief description of project
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is a technique that produces signals from small molecules in solution. The complex array of small metabolites present in biological fluids is potentially a rich source of information about metabolic regulation and its response to disease and the environment. Until recently, the complexity of spectra recorded from biofluids has made analysis by NMR extremely difficult. However, the application of statistical techniques such as principal components analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) has provided a method to extract valuable information from NMR spectra of biofluids.
There is evidence that microbial colonisation of human follicular fluid influences the viability of oocytes and their potential for successful in vitro fertilisation (IVF), development of the embryo in vitro, implantation and pregnancy.Hypothesis
Follicular fluid colonised with bacteria will contain bacterial metabolic end products and may also have altered metabolite profiles. The presence and metabolic profiles of these end products may be useful in identifying oocytes with greater potential for successful fertilisation, implantation and developmental capability.
Research activities
In this project, you will learn to use the 400 MHz NMR spectrometers at QUT, to record NMR spectra from samples of follicular fluid, previously collected from subjects undergoing invitro fertilization procedures. You will analyse the chemical ‘fingerprints’ recorded from samples using AMIX software and related metabonomic techniques so that they can be correlated with demographic and physiological data. The ultimate aim is to determine which metabolites are associated with successful/unsuccessful IVF outcomes.
Expected outcomes
The aim of this project is to acquire spectra from a set of samples previously collected.
Duration of project
The duration is 8 weeks from early December 2011 to late January 2012, depending on student availability.
Number of hours
Approximately 30 hours per week.
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scholarship
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
-
Please contact a supervisor for enquiries.
Dr Mark Wellard
Dr Christine Knox
