Fish eyes are currently a low-value by-product of the New Zealand fishing industry. But a new study that aims to manufacture human corneal replacements from proteins found in fish eye lenses could mean fish eyes go from being ‘scraps’ to highly-valued biomaterials.
Biochemist Dr Laura Domigan, a research fellow at the University of Auckland, has received an Emerging Researcher First Grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) to carry out this novel study.
HRC Chief Executive Professor Kath McPherson says the HRC is proud to support Laura and ten other promising emerging researchers to the combined tune of $1.45 million this year.
“These grants are an important launching pad to help provide sustainable career paths for New Zealand’s top health research talent,” says Professor McPherson.
The worldwide shortage of human donor corneas – the clear, protective layer at the front of the eye – has led to increasing interest in creating artificial corneal replacements. In this study Dr Domigan will recycle proteins from the eye lenses of New Zealand’s hoki fish to create new biomaterials for corneal tissue engineering.
“Tissue engineering involves the combination of a biomaterial scaffold with cells to create an implant that supports host tissue regeneration,” says Dr Domigan.
“Tissue engineered corneas offer the opportunity for long-term tissue repair, as opposed to non-degradable artificial corneas, which may result in host rejection and post-operative complications.”
More than 250 cornea transplants are performed each year in New Zealand, and they are becoming increasingly common as the age of the population increases. About 10 million people have corneal blindness worldwide, but only 100,000 transplants are performed each year because of the lack of donor corneas, particularly in developing countries. The growing popularity of laser eye surgery (LASIK) also decreases the availability of donor corneas as it disqualifies them from use.
Professor Kath McPherson says this grant will enable Dr Domigan to establish an independent health research career centred around turning low-cost New Zealand bioresources – namely proteins – into high-value biomaterials with great commercial potential.
See below for the full list of 2016 HRC Emerging Researcher First Grants recipients or to read lay summaries of the research projects, go to our research repository and filter for ‘Researcher Initiated Proposals,’ ‘Emerging Researcher First Grants’ and ‘2016’.
2016 Emerging Researcher First Grants
Dr Anneka Anderson, University of Auckland
Māori experiences of antenatal care in Tāmaki Makaurau
30 months, $149,947
Dr Nicola Anstice, University of Auckland
Improving children's vision screening: Are Lea symbols a better option?
36 months, $144,570
Dr Paul Blatchford, The New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research Limited
Improving gut microbiota in IBD patients using enteral nutrition and curcumin
24 months, $114,296
Dr Graeme Carrick-Ranson, University of Auckland
The consequences of type 2 diabetes on the cardiovascular effects of aging
36 months, $149,931
Dr Laura Domigan, University of Auckland
New biomaterials from lens proteins for corneal tissue engineering
18 months, $69,000
Dr June-Chiew Han, University of Auckland
Disturbed energetics in heart failure: its association with t-tubule disruption
36 months, $111,000
Dr Claire Heppenstall, University of Otago, Christchurch
Utilising a prognostic indicator to guide deprescribing in aged residential care
24 months, $145,459
Dr Ivanhoe Leung, University of Auckland
Lost in translation: Translation dysregulation and Parkinson's disease
36 months, $120,000
Dr Stuti Misra, University of Auckland
Corneal nerve microstructural changes in diabetes
24 months, $149,354
Dr Pippa Scott, University of Otago, Christchurch
Zoonotic disease transmission in New Zealand rural communities
24 months, $149,982
Dr Jie Zhang, University of Auckland
The transition zone as corneal endothelial transplants
24 months, $149,609