Sunday
2:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm
Introductory Comments by GRC Staff / Welcome and Introduction from the Chairs
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm
Embryo Development
Discussion Leaders: Dieter Egli (Columbia University, United States)
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:45 pm - 8:10 pm
Kikue Tachibana (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry)
"Mechanisms of Zygotic Genome Activation in Mouse Embryos"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pm
Discussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pm
Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz (California Institute of Technology, United States)
"From Stem Cells to Embryo Models to Understand the Principles of Self-Organisation"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pm
Discussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pm
Eszter Posfai (Princeton University, United States)
""Uncovering the Mechanisms of Cell Fate Decisions in the Preimplantation Mouse Embryo Using Live Imaging"."
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Group Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Oocyte Maturation and Preparation for Fertilization
Discussion Leaders: Karen Schindler (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, United States)
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:35 am
Binyam Mogessie (Yale University, United States)
"Emerging Mechanisms of Mammalian Egg Development"
9:35 am - 9:45 am
Discussion
9:45 am - 10:10 am
Suzanne Madgwick (Biosciences Institute Newcastle University)
"Can we Reveal the Cell Cycle Proteome of Mammalian Oocytes by Imaging Mass Cytometry"
10:10 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:50 am
Coffee Break
10:50 am - 11:15 am
Swathi Arur (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States)
"Maternal Nutrition and Control of Oocyte Production"
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Discussion
11:25 am - 11:50 am
Ahmed Balboula (University of Missouri, United States)
"The Pivotal Role of Initial Spindle Positioning in Safeguarding Against Aneuploidy in Oocytes"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm
Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm
Late-Breaking Topic
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm
Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm
Late-Breaking Topic
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The GRC Power Hourâ„¢
The GRC Power Hourâ„¢ is designed to address diversity and inclusion in the scientific workplace by providing a safe environment for informal and meaningful conversations amongst colleagues of all career stages. The program supports the professional growth of all members of our communities, including ethnicity, race and/or gender identity by providing an open forum for discussion and mentoring.
Organizers: Farners Amargant I Riera (Northwestern University, United States) and Patricia Cuasnicu (Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Argentina)
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Reproductive Environment and Gamete Maturation
Discussion Leader: Sylvie Breton (Université Laval, Canada)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:05 pm
Irina Larina (Baylor College of Medicine, United States)
"In Vivo Imaging of Reproductive Dynamics"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm
Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:40 pm
Steve Dorus (Syracuse University, United States)
"The Life History of Drosophila Sperm Involves Molecular Continuity Between Male and Female Reproductive Tracts"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 8:55 pm
General Discussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pm
Chih Kuan Tung (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, United States)
"Sperm Interaction with the Physical Environment in the Female Reproductive Tract."
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Acquisition of Sperm Fertilization Competence
Discussion Leader: Mariano Buffone (Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, Argentina)
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:35 am
Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
"Complexity and Molecular Diversity in Sperm Flagellum as Revealed by Cryo-Electron Microscopy"
9:35 am - 9:45 am
Discussion
9:45 am - 10:10 am
Rossana Sapiro (Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay)
"Role of Mitochondria on Sperm Function and Dysfunction"
10:10 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:50 am
Coffee Break
10:50 am - 11:15 am
Sudarshan Gadadhar (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, India)
"Are Tubulin Postranslational Modifications Fine Regulators of Mammalian Sperm Development and Function?"
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Discussion
11:25 am - 11:50 am
Heymut Omran (University Hospital Muenster, Germany)
"Molecular Defects that Cause Sperm Flagella Dysfunction Responsible for Male Infertility"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm
Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm
Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Identification of Novel Contraceptive Targets and New Platforms for Contraceptive Screening
Discussion Leader: Gregory Kopf (FHI 360, United States)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:05 pm
David Pepin (Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States)
"Approaches Targeting the AMH-AMHR2 Axis for Female Contraception."
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm
Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:40 pm
Jianjun Sun (University of Connecticut, United States)
"What Can We Learn from Drosophila : Novel Mechanisms of Ovulation and Contraceptive Screening"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:15 pm
Lonny Levin (Weill Cornell Medicine, United States)
"On-Demand Male Contraception Via Acute Inhibition of Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase"
9:15 pm - 9:25 pm
Discussion
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
General Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
The Molecular Basis of Sperm-Egg Recognition
Discussion Leader: Luca Jovine (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:35 am
Naokazu Inoue (Fukushima Medical University, Japan)
"Molecular mechanisms leading to gamete fusion in mice"
9:35 am - 9:45 am
Discussion
9:45 am - 10:10 am
Jennifer Pinello (University of Maryland, United States)
"Molecular Mechanisms of Gamete Membrane Adhesion and Fusion in Unicellular Eukaryotes"
10:10 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:50 am
Coffee Break
10:50 am - 11:15 am
Li-Jia Qu (Peking University, China, China)
"Molecular Mechanisms Controlling Double Fertilization in Angiosperms"
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Discussion
11:25 am - 11:50 am
Katerina Komrskova (Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic)
"MAIA, the human-specific oocyte ligand, facilitates gamete membrane fusion."
11:50 am - 12:00 pm
Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm
Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The Genetics and Epigenetics of Fertilization and Embryo Development
Discussion Leader: Steven L'Hernault (Emory University, United States)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:05 pm
Rafael Oliva (University of Barcelona, Hospital Clínic from Barcelona, and IDIBAPS Institue, Spain)
"The Sperm Cell Proteome and its Contribution to Fertilization and Development"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm
Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:40 pm
Julie Brind'Amour (Université de Montréal, Canada)
"Transmitting repressive chromatin, from the egg to the embryo"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:15 pm
Bradley Cairns (University of Utah, United States)
"Nucleosome Variants and Ordered Polycomb Recruitment Orchestrate Developmental Gene Silencing in Early Zebrafish Embryos"
9:15 pm - 9:25 pm
Discussion
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
General Discussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Business Meeting
Nominations for the Next Vice Chair(s); Complete the GRC Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Dates and Venue; Election of the Next Vice Chair(s)
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Activation of Localized Translational Regulation at the Egg to Embryo Transition
Discussion Leader: Rafael Fissore (University of Massachusetts, United States)
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:50 am
Ruth Lehmann (Whitehead Institute and MIT, United States)
"Germ Granule Specific Translation at the Onset of Development"
9:50 am - 10:00 am
Discussion
10:00 am - 10:10 am
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
10:10 am - 10:15 am
Discussion
10:15 am - 10:45 am
Coffee Break
10:45 am - 10:55 am
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
10:55 am - 11:00 am
Discussion
11:00 am - 11:10 am
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
11:10 am - 11:15 am
Discussion
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
11:25 am - 11:30 am
Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
11:40 am - 11:45 am
Discussion
11:45 am - 11:55 am
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
11:55 am - 12:00 pm
Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm
Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Evolution of Reproductive Mechanisms and Behaviors
Discussion Leader: Mariana Wolfner (Cornell University, United States)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:05 pm
Katie Barott (University of Pennsylvania, United States)
"Molecular Mechanisms of Sperm Motility in Early-diverging Metazoans are Highly Conserved and may Provide Insight into Reproductive Resilience under Global Climate Change"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm
Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:40 pm
Irem Sepil (University of Oxford)
"Is an Old Male Doomed to Fail? Testing the Effects of Male and Sperm Age on Reproduction"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:15 pm
Li Zhao (The Rockefeller University, United States)
"De Novo Genes and de Novo Mutations in Drosophila Spermatogenesis"
9:15 pm - 9:25 pm
Discussion
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
General Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am
Departure