Spermatozoa navigation in complex environments

概述：人工生殖技术已被用于克服生育问题。然而，关于这些技术中的许多技术的使用和处理存在许多瓶颈，特别是关于IVF周期之前的精子构型和分选（Samuel等人，2018年）。微流控技术和生化分析的进步允许基于运动性和形态学更快地选择精子。通过使用显微镜和活体成像，可以开发新的技术来评估和选择候选精子（Segerink等人，2012年）。此外，微流体的结合允许更少的样本处理，模拟更自然的选择环境，可以提高受精率（Vaughan和Sakkas，2019）。假设和目的：本项目的目的是利用基于微通道的装置，根据运动力和其他潜在参数（如形态学、趋化性、趋流性和趋热性）进行精子选择。此外，不同精子中可能存在的分子变异及其生化行为将被评估，以发现所选择的配子与其遗传谱的相关性。其中许多技术可能会在未来的发展中发挥负面作用。随着微流体技术的使用，有可能自然选择最佳候选精子，而不使用密度梯度或上游，这是纯粹基于运动力的选择技术。本项目的目的是开发微流体精子分选设备，可以帮助人工生殖技术提供更高的受精率，同时保持精子的完整性。

Overview:Artificial reproduction technologies have been utilized to overcome fertility problems. There are, however, many bottlenecks regarding the use and handling of many of these techniques specifically regarding sperm configuration and sorting before the IVF cycles (Samuel et al., 2018). Advancements in microfluidic technologies and biochemical assays allow for faster sperm selection based on motility and morphology. With the use of microscopy and live imaging, new techniques can be developed to assess and select candidate spermatozoa (Segerink et al., 2012). Furthermore, the incorporation of microfluidics allows for less sample handling mimicking a more natural selection environment, arguably improving the fertilization rates (Vaughan and Sakkas, 2019). Hypothesis and Aims:The objective of this project is to utilize microchannel based devices for sperm selection based on motility and other potential parameters such as morphology, chemotaxis, rheotaxis and thermotaxis. Furthermore, possible molecular variants within different spermatozoa and their biochemical behavior will be assessed to find the correlation of the selected gamete and their genetic profile.It is hypothesized that the spermatozoa are influenced by many factors both genetic and environmental. Many of these are bypassed by techniques that can potentially play a negative role in the future development. With the use of microfluidics there is the possibility on naturally selecting the best candidate spermatozoa without the use of density gradient or swim up which are selection techniques purely based on motility.The aim of this project is the development of microfluidic sperm sorting devices that can assist Artificial Reproductive Technologies giving higher fertilization rates while maintaining the integrity of the spermatozoa.