Molecular origin of non-disjunction in human meiotic and early mitotic divisions

A specialised cell division called meiosis produces eggs and sperm. A high proportion of human eggs are faulty because they have the wrong number of chromosomes. This happens more often in older women. Fusion of these defective eggs with a sperm results in infertility, miscarriage or children with genetic conditions such as Down syndrome.

We aim to understand the mechanisms by which chromosomes are distributed into human eggs and to determine if their function is altered in people with reproductive difficulties. Our team of clinical reproductive scientists and cell biologists will use advanced microscopy to examine fluorescently-labelled factors in immature eggs as they undergo meiosis and in the first cell divisions after fusion of the egg and sperm. 

This work will provide a better understanding of the pathways that sort chromosomes into human eggs and it will inform future work to identify the causes of fertility problems.