A multi-dimensional and spatio-temporal reference map of the human reproductive system

Disorders of the human reproductive system have emerged as an area of grave concern, highly linked to overall health.

Infertility, cancers, autoimmune diseases and other conditions within the male and female reproductive systems are common.

Human reproduction, an understudied research area, is a complex process involving several diverse organs and tissues producing thousands of proteins at just the right time and place to facilitate successful procreation.

Analysis of such complexity requires great width and depth as well as a temporal dimension to not conflate and misinterpret the system.

Recent development in the field of omics has made such analysis possible, with several maps of expression available at the mRNA and protein levels for a wide range of tissues and organs. Systems biology approaches that combine multiple omics strategies to yield multidimensional data are however rare.

By employing established infrastructure, this project aims to generate a high-resolution, spatio-temporal map of human reproduction at a single-cell type level.

We will utilize state-of-the-art quantitative and spatial qualitative methods at both the mRNA and protein levels to perform an in-depth characterization of genes and proteins relevant for male and female reproduction in health and disease.

Through the development of an increasingly automated workflow of analysis, we aim to contribute to the establishment of personalized medicine in healthcare systems worldwide.