Thomas Franck Dyrlund: Proteins behind good vision and successful artificial insemination

During the course of his PhD studies, Thomas F. Dyrlund carried out an analysis of human corneas to describe the protein composition of the cornea, and thereby which proteins maintain corneal balance. This analysis provides a useful reference data set for investigating corneal diseases. It can hopefully pave the way towards curing a great number of corneal diseases that – along with other eye diseases – cause 4.2% of the world’s population to suffer from impaired vision.

In another project, Thomas F. Dyrlund studied proteins secreted by fertilised human eggs used in fertility treatment. The success rate for fertility treatment is poor, as fewer than 30% of the treatments lead to pregnancy. This low success rate is probably linked to the selection of which fertilised egg should be transferred to the uterus – a choice that is currently made on the basis of the egg’s appearance. In collaboration with fertility clinics, Thomas F. Dyrlund studied the culture medium for fertilised eggs to find secreted proteins that could be used as markers for selecting the egg most likely to lead to pregnancy.

The PhD degree was completed at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO), Science and Technology, Aarhus University.

Time: Wednesday 21 November 2012 at 11.15
Place: Lecture Theatre F, building 1534, room 125, Department of Mathematics, Aarhus University
Title of dissertation: Proteomics and data mining – study of the human cornea proteome and the human embryo secretome
Contact information: Thomas Franck Dyrlund, tfd@mb.au.dk
Members of the assessment committee:
Dr Frederique Lisacek, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland 
Dr Brian Vandahl, Department of Protein Science, Novo Nordisk, Denmark
Associate Professor Duncan Sutherland (chair), iNANO, Aarhus University
Main supervisor:
Professor Jørgen Kjems, iNANO and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor:
Professor Jan J. Enghild, iNANO and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Language: The dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The dissertation is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, room 112, 8000 Aarhus C.