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27 February 2006
CSU infrastructure grant boosts efforts to establish rural andrology lab
Charles Sturt University has announced that it will provide funds needed to establish an on-campus andrology laboratory. The request for funding was lead by E H Graham Centre scientist, Professor Peter Chenoweth.
With the financial support of CSU, a computerised automated sperm analysis system (CASA) will be purchased. Importantly, when combined with existing flow cytometer and fluorescent microscope facilities, the CASA system provides the infrastructure required to constitute a CIVAL (Consortium of Veterinary Andrology Laboratories) accredited andrology laboratory.
The primary use of the CASA system will be semen evaluation. Because the system is designed for the study of moving cells, it can be used to analyse important sperm characteristics, such as mobility, counts, concentration, shape and size. The capabilities of the CASA system will therefore be of great interest to the artificial insemination industry, the study of animal health (particularly endocrine system function) and assessment of wildlife reproduction.
The unique capabilities of the system also make it a powerful tool in microbiological research. For example, the CASA system permits assessment of the ways in which micro-organisms chemically sense their environment, as well as the chemical blockers responsible for controlling infections in plants and animals.
For more information on the CSU Andrology Laboratory contact Peter Chenoweth (pchenoweth@csu.edu.au ).