ABSTRACT GUIDELINES AND POLICIES
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All abstracts must be original work.
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Make abstracts as informative as possible, including a brief statement of the purpose of the
study or why it was done, the methods used, the results observed, and the author(s)'
conclusions based upon the results. Actual data should be summarized. It is inadequate to
state "the results will be discussed" or "the data will be presented".
o
It is possible to submit a ‘work in progress/planning’ abstract. This might
include some background, some data you have collected (or are collecting)
and where you are heading next with your research. This is in the interest of
encouraging students at various stages of their studies to get involved and
practice presenting their research. It is also a great opportunity to discuss and
get feedback on work in progress.
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You must be registered for the 6th Annual ASMR Student Research Symposium. There is no
limit to the number of abstracts that may be submitted by an individual. However, splitting of
a body of work into multiple abstracts is discouraged and consolidation into one abstract is
preferred.
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Abstract submission implies consent to publication of the abstract in the 6th Annual ASMR
Student Research Symposium abstract booklet.
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All abstracts must be prepared according to the guidelines and template provided. Only
abstracts adhering to these guidelines will be accepted.
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The abstract title must not exceed 150 characters (excluding spaces). The abstract body
(including subheadings) must not exceed the 2,000-character limit (excluding spaces).
Abstracts exceeding the limit will have marks deducted during the review process.
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The abstract should be typed in Times New Roman, size 12pt and single line spacing.
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Footnotes, Tables and Figures are not permitted.
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DO NOT include authors and affiliations in the abstract, as these will be entered into the
online submission form. All submissions are done online.
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If you agree to be interviewed by media representatives regarding your work for the
promotion of the Student Research Symposium as part of ASMR Medical Research Week®,
please also include a lay description of your abstract (maximum of 50 words) during abstract
submission.
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To be considered for Awards you must agree to media participation, be a current ASMR
member or have applied for membership.
ABSTRACT TEMPLATE
ABSTRACT TITLE IS ALIGNED LEFT IN BOLD CAPITALS - BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR PROJECT IN LESS
THAN 150 CHARACTERS (EXCLUDING SPACES).
INTRODUCTION: Please use one paragraph only for this section. Please set out your
abstract exactly as shown in this template (font: Times New Roman, size: 12, spacing: 1.0).
Only .doc files under 5 Mb are accepted. Under no circumstances should you change the
formatting of this template. Use the “copy” and “paste special” functions to insert your text
within each section, and thereby simply replace the existing text. Place a special or unusual
abbreviation in parentheses after the full word the first time it appears, and then use the
abbreviation throughout the remainder of the abstract. You are absolutely restricted to one
page with a limit of 2,000 characters without spaces. (excluding Abstract Title only). The
spaces indicated between each abstract section must remain, but not all sections are
necessary.
METHODS: Please use one paragraph only for this section. Provide sufficient details for
readers to clearly understand the nature of your work or investigation. The use of standard
abbreviations is requested. Examples include: kg, g, mg, ml, L (liter), mEq (milliequivalent),
m (meter), mmol/L (millimoles per liter), / (per), and % (percent).
RESULTS: Please use one paragraph only for this section. Tables, Figures and Footnotes are
not permitted. It is recommended that references be used only where absolutely necessary
(see style below). Please cite references as follows: “Smith et al. (1999) stated ...” or “... 1”.
CONCLUSIONS: Please use at most two sentences for this section.
REFERENCES
1
Bevelander, G., and Benzer, P. (1948). Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 94:176-183.
SEE NEXT PAGE FOR EXAMPLE
REGULATION OF HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL MITOCHONDRIAL
METABOLISM AND FUNCTION BY OXYGEN
INTRODUCTION: The suitability of human embryonic stem (hES) cells for differentiation
and transplantation relies upon their ability to respond appropriately to environmental signals.
Oxygen is a known regulator of cell function and embryonic differentiation. hES cells are
routinely cultured at atmospheric (20%) oxygen rather than at a more physiological oxygen
concentration (~5%). While physiological oxygen appears beneficial for the maintenance of
pluripotency, reports on its role in hES cell function are inconsistent and limited by a lack of
physiological analyses.
METHODS: Here we used two hES cell lines (MEL1, MEL2) to determine the role of 5%
and 20% oxygen in regulating mitochondrial activity quantitated through the analysis of
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, membrane potential, gene expression and
nutrient utilization.
RESULTS: In response to extended physiological (5%) oxygen culture MEL2 hES cells
displayed reduced mtDNA content (P=0.001), mitochondrial numbers (P<0.001) and
expression of mitochondrial genes TFAM (P<0.001), NRF1 (P=0.031), PPARα (P=0.004)
and ND4 (P=0.027). Furthermore, MEL2 hES cell glucose consumption (P<0.001) and
lactate production (P<0.001) were elevated under physiological oxygen. In stark contrast,
MEL1 hES cell carbohydrate use, mtDNA and gene expression were not altered in response
to oxygen. Differences in the metabolic response to oxygen between the two hES cell lines
examined highlight the importance of metabolic analyses, as standard measures of
characterisation fail to differentiate between the two lines. Here we report the first incidence
of metabolic dysfunction in a hES cell population.
CONCLUSION: Collectively these data reveal a central role for oxygen in the regulation of
hES cell metabolism, whereby physiological oxygen promotes glycolytic activity and
suppresses mitochondrial biogenesis and gene expression.