We would like to welcome Anton Potapenko into our group as the latest post-doc. Anton is a physicist and will be focusing on the calcium responses in sperm on a single-cell level using novel fluorescence microscopy techniques. We are happy to have Anton with us and are looking forward to what insights his results will reveal!
Our group was represented by two contributions at the European Testis Workshop. Rita Rahban, a former guest scientist, presented our results on the effect of antidepressants on sperm and Christian Schiffer reported on our research results concerning infertile men due to loss of CatSper-channel function.
Both presentations were awarded prizes by the organizing committee!
Congratulations to Samuel Young for finishing his doctoral thesis. The title of his dissertation is "The (path)physiology of ion channels in human sperm" and describes the results of three productive years in our work group. Sam is now joining Christian Schiffer in further developing the "CatSper-Test" into an in vitro diagnostic test.
We are happy to welcome Thomas Lange (Pharmacist). He is a PhD student in the group of Prof. Lehr (Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medical Chemistry). In a joint project of Prof Lehr´s and our group within the ChemBion Research Training Group https://www.uni-muenster.de/ChemBion, Thomas is investigating the endocannabinoid metabolism in human sperm and its relevance for the control of transmembrane ion flux.
The medical student Clara Eisenhardt joins the lab to work on her dissertation. Within the framework of the Faculty´s MedK (Medizinerkolleg) programme, our new group member is studying the pharmacology of the sperm-specific potassium channel Slo3, using the patch-clamp-technique.
We are happy that Dr. Leonie Herrmann (Biologist) joined our team in February 2021. Funded by the IZKF, she is investigating the progesterone receptor in human sperm using photo-affinity labeling.
Jannika Patz started as a new PhD student in our research group in January.
She is investigating the subcellular localization and interplay of ion channels in human sperm.
Medical research student, Johannes Lorenz, is studying the function of the sperm-specific Potassium channel, Slo3, using the patch-clamp technique.
The Infertile Man - The fight against an overlooked public health crisis
By Barbara Hardinghaus and Maik Großkathöfer
-An excerpt from the article-
...The egg releases messenger substances, hormones that are like signposts for the sperm. This is how they orientate themselves in the female genital tract. Just as immune cells detect bacteria in the blood, spermatozoa are able to detect the egg. To do this, they have a sensor in the membrane of their tail, a protein called CatSper. If this protein is dysfunctional, the man is infertile. Strünker has developed a rapid test that has been used in Münster for about a year. A pipette is used to drop ejaculate into two vials. Then you wait for half an hour. If the sperm cease to swim, they are healthy - they stop moving because they do not pick up any signals from the egg cell. Spermatozoa with a defective receptor keep searching...
Master student, Ines Ansmann, is researching the sperm-specific Potassium channel, Slo3 and developing a test, which can be used to identify patients with a Slo3 loss-of-function phenotype.
Creating a fully automated system for analysing sperm motility
Master student, Laura Vinnenber, is researching the sperm-specific Potassium channel, Slo3 and developing a test, which can be used to identify patients with a Slo3 loss-of-function phenotype.
Master student, Alice Wagner, is characterizing the biochemical composition of spermatozoa lacking the sperm-specific calcium channel CatSper. She plans on completing her Master's thesis by March 2020.
Congratulations to Michelina Kierzek for winning "Cell Calcium Best Poster Award!"
Congratulations to Cristina Biagioni for being granted an ECS Junior Travel Fellowship!
We spent a successful evening giving short lectures and performing exciting experiments for the public, describing a sperm's journey through the female genital tract as well as the ins and outs of in vitro fertilization.
