Bio-engineering
Proteomic Study of Inner Ear
Cochlear implants (CIs) can lead to cellular changes such as fibrosis and ossification within the cochlea, making it crucial to understand the underlying causes of these alterations to develop effective prevention strategies. Recent studies have highlighted a significant cochlear immune response associated with chronic implantation, yet there remain fundamental gaps in identifying the key triggers and pathways involved. Addressing these gaps is essential not only for improving CI outcomes but also for understanding molecular changes across various otologic diseases.
To tackle these challenges, our aim is to develop an advanced proteomics platform to reveal critical molecular pathways related to cochlear implantation and otologic conditions by examining post-implantation trauma. Preliminary proteomics analyses of healthy cochleae from guinea pigs have demonstrated the robustness and reproducibility of our technique. This data provides a solid foundation for quantitatively comparing proteins in inner ear tissues under different conditions. We plan to build on this preliminary work according to the outlined timeline to further our understanding and advance the field.
In collaboration with Cochlea as our industry partner and the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility (APAF), we aim to construct an in-depth whole proteome of inner ear fluid and cochlea tissue in both animal models and human to determine the mechanism of cochlear implantation trauma.
Cochlear implants (CIs) can lead to cellular changes such as fibrosis and ossification within the cochlea, making it crucial to understand the underlying causes of these alterations to develop effective prevention strategies. Recent studies have highlighted a significant cochlear immune response associated with chronic implantation, yet there remain fundamental gaps in identifying the key triggers and pathways involved. Addressing these gaps is essential not only for improving CI outcomes but also for understanding molecular changes across various otologic diseases.
To tackle these challenges, our aim is to develop an advanced proteomics platform to reveal critical molecular pathways related to cochlear implantation and otologic conditions by examining post-implantation trauma. Preliminary proteomics analyses of healthy cochleae from guinea pigs have demonstrated the robustness and reproducibility of our technique. This data provides a solid foundation for quantitatively comparing proteins in inner ear tissues under different conditions. We plan to build on this preliminary work according to the outlined timeline to further our understanding and advance the field.
In collaboration with Cochlea as our industry partner and the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility (APAF), we aim to construct an in-depth whole proteome of inner ear fluid and cochlea tissue in both animal models and human to determine the mechanism of cochlear implantation trauma.
Microfluidics Cell Sorting
In collaboration with Dr Warkiani group in UTS, we aim to develop novel microfludic devices for various applications including cell sorting. Cell sorting is critical for many applications ranging from stem cell research to cancer therapy. Isolation and fractionation of cells using microfluidic platforms have been flourishing areas of development in recent years. The need for efficient and high-throughput cell enrichment, which is an essential preparatory step in many chemical and biological assays, has led to the recent development of numerous microscale separation techniques. We have pioneered some inertial microfluidic platforms for various applications, including separation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood, enrichment of malaria parasite and fractionation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
In collaboration with Dr Warkiani group in UTS, we aim to develop novel microfludic devices for various applications including cell sorting. Cell sorting is critical for many applications ranging from stem cell research to cancer therapy. Isolation and fractionation of cells using microfluidic platforms have been flourishing areas of development in recent years. The need for efficient and high-throughput cell enrichment, which is an essential preparatory step in many chemical and biological assays, has led to the recent development of numerous microscale separation techniques. We have pioneered some inertial microfluidic platforms for various applications, including separation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood, enrichment of malaria parasite and fractionation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
