The effects of steroid hormones and growth factors on skeletal outcomes
ANZAC Research Institute, The University of Sydney
Researchers led by Professor Hong Zhou and Professor Markus J. Seibel from the Bone Research Program at the ANZAC Research Institute study the effects of steroid hormones on skeletal health in the context of ageing, arthritis, chronic stress and metastatic cancer.
Utilising x-ray microtomography (micro-CT) imaging to evaluate bone architecture and density is key when assessing bone health. X-ray data collected from genetically modified rodents, which lack glucocorticoid signalling in bone or cartilage cells, has led to significant advances in the understanding of steroid hormone action in the skeleton.
Each dataset from the micro-CT scanner amounts to 2.5Gb, with the study generating 2TB of data per year. The data is routinely transmitted into Space at warp speed using SpaceShuttle, and from there easily shared with various collaborators across Australia, Europe and North America.