Lumen Spring Summer 2023 - Flipbook - Page 27
News in brief
The people and research of the
University of Adelaide receive
wide media attention locally,
nationally and internationally,
on a broad range of topics.
In the first half of this year alone
there were 18,000 items in the
news about the University – in
print, radio, TV and online –
which reached more than 200
million people globally. These are
just some of those stories.
Holograms for life
A collaborative research project between the University of Adelaide and University
of St Andrews has developed world-first 3D holographic images of an embryo, a
technology which could improve IVF outcomes.
Led by Dr Kylie Dunning, Hospital Research Foundation fellow from the
University’s Robinson Research Institute, and Professor Kishan Dholakia from the
University of Adelaide and the University of St Andrews, the images were of a
pre-clinical model of an embryo at various stages of development.
The technology provides clinicians with a non-invasive method of gaining valuable
insights into a growing embryo.
Making the future female
A new program has brought
together Federal and State
representatives from across the
political spectrum to address the
underrepresentation of women in
Australian politics.
Pathways to Politics Program for
Women is a national and proudly
non-partisan initiative equipping
women and non-binary people with
the skills, knowledge, confidence
and networks they need to run for
elected office and thrive as political
leaders.
The program is offered free for up
to 25 participants.
More wine, less headache
A world-first trial-scale no- and
low-alcohol wine research facility
has launched at the Waite campus
this year, thanks to almost two
million dollars invested by the
South Australian government.
So-called NOLO wines cater to an
emerging market in Australia and
around the world, with a growing
number of drinkers looking for less
buzzy booze.
The research facility is a
collaboration between the
University of Adelaide, the
Department of Primary Industries
and Regions and The Australian
Wine Research Institute.
“For couples wishing to conceive, the quality, or developmental potential, of an
embryo is critical as it dictates the success of their pregnancy and ultimately, the
birth of their child,” Dr Dunning says.
“In vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics routinely assess embryo quality by visual
inspection to check if an embryo is developing in a time-appropriate manner
or by an invasive biopsy to determine DNA content of the biopsied sample.
“However, these approaches have failed to improve the success rate of IVF
which has remained stagnant for more than a decade.”
In 2018, it was estimated eight million babies
had been born through IVF since the world’s
first in 1978. Data from 2020 show a 38.9 per
cent live birth rate per embryo transfer for
patients under 34 years.
Dr Dunning says these 3D holograms, which use “miniscule amounts of light…
to allow rapid visualisation of the embryo in a fraction of a second” might see those
rates increase.
“Optical technologies hold immense promise to unravel the metabolism and
health of the embryo. This gentle, non-invasive approach could lead to improved
IVF success.”
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