About the project
This project will use computational modelling in combination with 3D multiscale multimodal imaging to improve our understanding of placental evolution, in close collaboration between engineering and medicine.
While the mammalian placenta only evolved once, it is remarkable just how many different types of placentas there are in different animals. The variety of placental structures is much more pronounced than for any other organ. This is particularly striking, given that the placenta essentially fulfils the same function of providing oxygen and nutrients to support the growth and development of the fetus in the womb until their time of birth. This provides a fascinating opportunity to study how different structural adaptations can maintain a core function while also responding to species specific requirements.
Maternal and fetal blood circulations do not mix, therefore current theories of placental evolution centre on the tissue layers comprising the placental barrier and try to infer how their organisation relates to the concept of placental efficiency. However, this “placental efficiency” is not well defined.
Building on imaging data we are collecting this PhD project will use modelling to establish for the first time a quantitative understanding of placental oxygen and nutrient transfer in different species and determine how this links with different evolutionary strategies.
To achieve this, we will use volume electron microscopy and X-Ray histology to image actual placental structures at the micro and macro scale, and convert these into computer models of nutrient transfer and blood flow to determine the placental transfer capacity for different species (human, sheep, mouse, zebra etc).
This project has significant implications for reproductive health in humans and other animals. Determining why the placenta has evolved as it has in each species will help identify the key determinants of reproductive success in each species.
