Sperm analysis and reproduction on a chip
The facility offers an advanced sperm quality analysis for obtaining more insight in potentially underlying factors of unexplained sub- or infertility. The same facility houses 3D printing, microfluidic, and cell culture techniques to resemble the essential morphological and physiological functionalities of an oviduct or uterus in a simplified and miniaturised on-chip format in order to improve in vitro fertilization and embryo production.
Advanced sperm quality analysis
Successful animal breeding relies on the formation of functionally intact eggs and sperm cells. If a male is apparently not able to sire offspring, a clinical examination and a standard semen evaluation form the basis to investigate the case. However, sometimes the results from these analyses provide no indication for the subfertility or infertility. In these cases of unexplained sub- or infertility, we offer an advanced sperm quality analysis for obtaining more insight in potentially underlying factors.
Causes of sub-/infertility
In counseling with a clinician and a biotechnologist, we offer a tailor-made selection of additional sperm parameters for identifying causes of sub-/infertility. Objective motility evaluation by computer-assisted semen analysis and state-of-the-art flow cytometry are employed to evaluate the functionality and integrity of the spermatozoa. Standardised assays evaluate the integrity of the sperm plasma membrane (viability), the acrosome (acrosome integrity), or the integrity of the sperm鈥檚 chromatin. These high throughput techniques can be combined with high resolution microcopy, i.e. Differential Interference Contrast optics or Electron microscopy (in collaboration with the Department of Cell Biology of the Faculty of Science), to gain insight in the subcellular organisation of the sperm cells. Finally, we provide an advice on strategies that may improve the fertility of a patient, e.g. employing procedures for sperm selection, advice on semen processing, or choosing for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Reproductive organs-on-a-chip
In close collaboration with bio-engineers and material specialists from the UMC Utrecht (Biofabrication unit), we develop new models that combine 3D printing, microfluidic and cell culture techniques to resemble the essential morphological and physiological functionalities of an oviduct or uterus in a simplified and miniaturised on-chip format. The most recent result from this collaboration is a bovine oviduct-on-a chip device.
Interaction of oocytes, sperm and embryos
We use this and other models as tools for gaining detailed insight how the oocytes, sperm and embryos interact with the female genital tract and trigger reciprocal responses in terms of gene and protein expression (gamete-maternal & embryo-maternal cross talk). The research topics in which we apply our microfluidic models range from studying the impact of assisted reproduction techniques on epigenetic reprogramming and health of embryos, to toxicologic screening assays and investigations on maternal metabolic stress/disorders on the micro-environment of the early embryo. Our analyses focus on the secretome of the epithelial cells, with special emphasis on the secreted proteins and extracellular vesicles with their cargo. The research is facilitated by own core facilities for mass spectrometric analysis of lipids and research on extracellular vesicles.
Besides studying physiological processes around we strive to use especially equine oviduct-on-a-chip systems to enable classical in vitro fertilisation and improve embryo development after ICSI. Future research is directed towards the establishing an uterus-on-a-chip to study the pre-implantation period.