MSc thesis Human and Animal Physiology

HAP has a substantial role in curricular teaching at Wageningen University. We teach basic and advanced physiology and molecular physiology for a variety of programs (MSc and BSc), especially Nutrition and Health, Biology, Animal Sciences, Biotechnology, Molecular Life Science, but also Food Technology and Plant Sciences. We aim to place our advanced physiology and molecular physiology teaching in the context of our research. In addition, we intensively train BSc, MSc and PhD students. More detailed information about the courses provided by Human and Animal Physiology can be found on HAP Education and for all Wageningen University courses see the Study Handbook.

HAP offers MSc thesis projects which are directly involved in (ongoing) molecular and physiological research. HAP research is focused on energy metabolism including intermediary metabolism as well as mitochondrial metabolism and physiology, which are central components of diet- and age-related diseases and affect organ and tissue function. With this research HAP aims I) to gain comprehensive mechanistic and physiological insights in energy metabolism related to health and organ functioning and, II) to obtain methodology and data to substantiate the efficacy of interventions, compounds and foods to improve metabolic health. To achieve this, HAP performs experimental research in humans, model animals, tissues and cells, using state-of-the-art physiological, molecular, biochemical, histological and bioinformatics tools.

If you are interested please contact our secretariat for an appointment with Dr Sander Grefte to discuss your options and the research you are interested in.

MSc Thesis Subjects


1. Role of oxidative stress in electrical remodelling in atrial fibrillation.

o Aim 1: To investigate how oxidative stress regulate calcium handling in atrial cardiomyocytes. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: cell culture, state of the art microscopy (live-cell/confocal) and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses.

o Aim 2: To investigate how oxidative stress contribute to electrical remodelling in atrial cardiomyocytes. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: cell culture, state of the art microscopy (live-cell/confocal) and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses.

2. Mitochondrial Health in Male and Female Reproduction.

Disturbance of metabolic homeostasis (e.g. negative energy balance due to lactation) may affect the delicate microenvironment of reproductive organs subsequently leading to inappropriate germ cell maturation and fertility problems due to for example reduced follicle and oocyte quality and by more variation in follicle and oocyte quality. Although altered mitochondrial function has been suggested to be crucially involved, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown.

o Aim 1: To study the functional and mechanistic role of mitochondria in germ cell development in dietary intervention studies performed in rodents. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: rodent materials and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses.

o Aim 2: To study the functional and mechanistic role of mitochondria in oocyte quality in dietary intervention studies performed in pigs. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: pig materials and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses.

3. Nutritional Programming: Effects on later-life Metabolic Health.

The diet in early-life can affect our physiology in later-life, with important consequences for metabolic health (nutritional programming). It is well known that the gestational period is important for nutritional programming, but also the transition period between lactation and solid foods is important. However, little is known on the role of specific nutrients, especially carbohydrates.

o Aim 1: To study differential programmed inflammation (e.g. in liver) by early life nutrition. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: rodent materials and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses.

o Aim 2: To study the effect of a genetic mitochondrial defect on metabolic health (inflammation, insulin, etc) by early life nutrition. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: rodent materials and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses (adipocyte size).

4. Vitamins and Mitochondrial Health in PBMCs.

Mitochondria perform indispensable cell functions such as macronutrient metabolism, apoptosis, immune signalling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. As a consequence, impairment of mitochondrial function may provoke development of disease. B-vitamins are a class of micronutrients with a positive impact on mitochondrial function.

o Aim 1: To study the role of vitamin B2 availability on mitochondrial function. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: Cell culture, enzymatic assays, extracellular flux assays.

o Aim 2: To study the role of exercise on mitochondrial function and vitamin B2 status on a molecular level. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: material from human trial, RNA isolation, Gene expression analysis

5. Mitochondrial metabolism of intestinal cells.

o Aim 1: In vivo assessment of mitochondrial functioning in the intestine of pigs. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: work with the animals and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses.

o Aim 2: To investigate the effect of butyrate on mitochondrial metabolism of colon cells. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: Cell culture, extra cellular flux analysis, and general molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical analyses.

6. Energy for life.

Most tissues and cells rely on oxygen to drive mitochondrial metabolism to sustain cellular functions. In contrast, cancer cells rely on glycolytic metabolism even in the presence of oxygen, the so called Warburg effect. Within these extremes, other different cell types may rely more or less on glycolytic or mitochondrial metabolism.

o Aim 1: To setup and study novel extra-cellular flux analysis (seahorse) to characterize mitochondrial different healthy and disease cell types. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: cell culture, treatment with (pharmacological) compounds and extra-cellular flux analysis (seahorse)

o Aim 2: To investigate how nutrient composition affect cellular metabolism and mitochondrial communication. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: cell culture, treatment with (pharmacological) compounds, extra-cellular flux analysis (seahorse), standard molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical and analytical analyses

7. Metabolic effects of drugs used to treat chronic myeloïd leukemia.

CML is caused by a genetic mutation (translocation chromosome 22 and 9) stem cells in the bone marrow. Currently, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI’s) are used to treat this rare disease. However, side effects are seen when using TKI. Some of these side effects are fatique, muscle complaints. nausia, and more. One of the mechanisms related to these side effects is a disturbance in glucose homeostasis, specifically focused on the glucose transporters

o Aim: To study the effect of using TKI on the glucose transporters (location, activity, etc) in muscle cells. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: Cell culture and differentiation of muscle cells, gene and protein expression, immunocytochemistry, seahorse measurements.

8. Oxygen Availability and Energy Metabolism.

The pathway by which most of the ATP is produced depends on the availability of oxygen in cells and tissues. Two important aspects influence the tissue oxygen availability: arterial oxygen saturation and tissue oxygen utilization. Current MSc topics within this program include the non-invasive analysis of muscle oxygen utilisation in humans under different conditions, and its relation to whole body energy metabolism.

o Aim: To investigate the role of oxygen availability in the regulation of energy metabolism in tendons in humans different environmental and dietary conditions. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: human studies, design protocols to measure non-invasively mitochondrial functions.

9. Mitochondria in septic ICU patients.

Sepsis is a major cause of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and may result in hospital death rates up to 40-60% of septic shock cases. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been demonstrated in a variety of cells in septic ICU patients, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Multiple studies have provided evidence for the association between the degree of mitochondrial dysfunction in PBMCs and the severity of sepsis and clinical outcomes.

o Aim: To investigate how mitochondrial function and dynamics progresses over time in septic ICU patients. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: In control of communication between Gelderse Vallei Ziekenhuis and Wageningen University, isolate PBMCs from whole blood from patients/controls, extra cellular flux analysis and standard molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical and analytical analyses

10. The effect of aging and hypoxia on muscle mitochondrial function.

One of the hallmarks of ageing is the progressive loss of muscle mass and function, which significantly increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. A strong relation with mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown. Specifically for the neuromuscular junctions, the main role of mitochondria is to provide sufficient energy for signal transmission and to buffer the high calcium load needed for proper muscle-nerve interactions. Interestingly, in aged rats, mitochondrial swelling, formation of megamitochondria, and markers of apoptosis (cytochrome c release, activated caspase 3 were observed in NMJ.

o Aim 1: To investigate the effect of age on the muscle molecular signature. In this project you will assist in ongoing study measuring extra cellular flux analysis of human biopsies and or human cells. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: human biopsies or culturing primary cells, extra cellular flux analysis and standard molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical and analytical analyses
o Aim 2: To investigate the role of age and oxygen of the formation of neuromuscular junctions. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: mouse tissues, cell culture, hypoxia, ex vivo immunohistochemical analysis and standard molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical and analytical analyses. o Aim 3: To investigate the effect of aging on in vivo muscle function.

11. Mitoenergetics and muscle cell differentiation.

Muscle cell differentiation has been shown to be influenced by mitochondrial functioning. Mitochondria form a complex network in a cell, and the morphology of this network is controlled via fusion and fission processes (i.e. mitochondrial dynamics). All these processes are essential for cellular health and it has been shown that these mitochondrial processes decrease upon aging and are related to several age-related diseases.

o Aim 1: To investigate the role of mitochondrial dynamics during muscle cell differentiation. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: cell culture, state of the art imaging techniques, extra cellular flux analysis and standard molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical and analytical analyses. o Aim 2: To investigate the role of mitochondrial redox metabolism during muscle cell differentiation. MSc topics within this project may include the following techniques and materials: cell culture, state of the art imaging techniques, extra cellular flux analysis and standard molecular physiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical and analytical analyses.