Bone Substrate Composition Affecting Bone Cell Formation, Function and Bone Turnover

Project Details

Bone substrate can affect both bone cell formation and bone cell function. Dysregulation of bone cells and altered turnover of bone are central to pathophysiology of bone. Both physical properties and chemical components may play a role. This project has been designed to assess whether carbonate substitutions and phosphorylation of bone substrate can affect the formation of bone and then the function of these cells.

Approach and techniques: 3D bone substrates with different chemical properties will be prepared and then human bone cells, both osteoclasts and osteoblasts, will be incubated in the scaffold for a period of 3-4 weeks. Substrates will include special cell culture polystyrene and bone cement that will be prepared with collaborators at the University of Tasmania.

Measures of cell activity will be monitored including proliferation and differentiation and physical features, as well as changes in the 3D bone substrate. These changes will be monitored using conventional histocytochemistry, RT-PCR and advanced imaging techniques including X-ray CT and confocal microscopy.

This project will involve interaction with the Australian Centre for Research on Separation Sciences (ACROSS) at the University of Tasmania (Prof Brett Paull).

Outcomes and skills: The candidate will learn tissue culture techniques as well as special techniques for the preparation and culture of different types of bone cells. This student will also become proficient at basic histology procedures including histochemistry and immnunocytochemistry, quantitative techniques for gene expression (PCR techniques) and microscopy techniques including fluorescence and confocal microscopy.