Infertility hits spectroscopy news headlines

The latest spectroscopy news headlines have included an innovative approach to detecting infertility.

Research conducted by Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum, Germany's sixth-largest university, has looked into a non-invasive method of distinguishing between healthy and infertile sperm.

It has made spectroscopy news headlines due to its application of Raman micro-spectroscopy to detect different organelles within sperm due to their unique spectra.

The researchers explain that the organelles contained within the structure of sperm contain mitochondria - the supplier of energy that allows the sperm to move and a key element in determining whether the sperm is healthy or not.

By detecting cellular damage in the mitochondria, infertile sperm can be identified even if their visible structure is no different from that of their healthy counterparts.

The researchers add that the need to investigate infertility further is highlighted by figures showing that male fertility is now at about 50 per cent of the level it was at half a century ago.