PhD Fellowship in RNA modification in Early Embryo Development Full-time

Project Investigator

Infertility is a major global health issue affecting more than 100 million people worldwide. Data from international registries indicate that fewer than half of IVF procedures result in a clinical pregnancy, partly because less than half of in vitro–fertilized embryos develop to the blastocyst stage.

This project will investigate embryo metabolism both within the embryo and in the surrounding culture medium. In the first part, advanced analytical methods will be used to profile metabolites in embryo culture media, with a particular focus on nutrient and metabolite uptake by developing embryos.

In parallel, the project will apply our previously developed low-input detection methods to characterize intracellular molecular changes, including alterations in the epitranscriptome. We will further examine how these metabolic and epitranscriptomic changes are associated with early embryo development, aneuploidy, and implantation and pregnancy outcomes.

Ultimately, this work aims to explore the potential applications of these approaches in assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including optimization of embryo culture conditions and tailoring nutritional requirements to individual embryos.

The duration of appointment is 3 years.