Research focus
The demand for high quality proteins increases with the exponential increase in the global population, which opens the market for protein enriched food. However, the effect of the quality and composition of proteins on metabolic pathways is not known in details. It is vital to understand these effects, so that they do not lead to e.g. insulin resistance as observed with excessive intake of sugar rich products. Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) is a new MR scanning technology for in vivo quantification of metabolic processes with an extremely high sensitivity. In this study, DNP technology will provide a deeper understanding of the biochemistry, which links the dietary profile and food product composition with metabolic pathways and diseases with a level of detail that cannot be achieved by any other existing non-invasive technique.
Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance is used for the study of metabolic processes through the development and optimization of NMR compatible bioreactors. Injecting bioreactors with hyperpolarized 13C labelled substrates (bioprobes) allows for real-time visualisation of metabolic pathways in living cells. Once a suitable bioreactor is made, it can be used to investigate the effect of conditioning on metabolism, e.g. changes in substrate, pH, oxygen level, presence of inhibitors or toxins etc. The formulation of the bioprobes will be optimised for maximum polarization and concentration to allow in vivo imaging.
The project contributes to the mission of HYPERMAG by using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance to gain insight into metabolic pathways under various conditions, contributing to reaching new vistas in the field of biochemistry.
Scientific output
Find Ronja's publications at DTU's online research database ORBIT.
Funding
The project is funded by the Danish Strategic Research Council/Innovation Fund Denmark as part of the project LlFE-DNP: Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in viva quantifcation of lipid and sugar metabolism in lifestyle related diseases (13078-00028B) and DTU Elektro. The project is part of the HYPERMAG Center of Excellence funded by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF124).
Supervisors
Professor Jan Ardenkjær-Larsen and Associate Professor Pernille Rose Jensen.
Project Period
May 2015 - April 2018