Organised by the Special Interest Groups Embryology & Stem Cells
Course Coordinators: Cristina Magli (SIG Embryology) & Karen Sermon (Belgium,SIG Stem Cells)
Course desciption: This advanced course aims at providing insight into the cellular and molecular similarities and differences between the blastocyst and its famous by-product, the embryonic stem cell. Although the topics mainly discuss basic scientific findings, each of them have potential repercussions for IVF or regenerative medicine. We will look into the origins of pluripotency and the roles played by eg mitochondria, intercellular connections, and microRNAs
Target audience: Fundamental embryologists, clinical embryologists with an interest in fundamental embryology, stem cell biologists
Chair: Josephine Lemmen (Denmark)
09:00 – 09:30
Embryo development and blastocyst formation: timing and synchronization of events / Thorir Hardarsson (Sweden)
09:30 – 09:45
Discussion
Chair: Marie Jose De los Santos (Spain)
09:45 – 10:15
Cell (pre)-destiny in the human preimplantation embryo and implications for IVF and PGD / Hilde Van De Velde (Belgium)
10:15 – 10:30
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee break
Chair: Kersti Lundin (Sweden)
11:00 – 11:30
Metabolic requirements of embryo growth and viability / Henry Leese (United Kingdom)
11:30 – 11:45
Chair: Cristina Magli (Italy)
11:45 – 12:15
The relationship between pluripotency and mitochondrial DNA proliferation during early embryo development and embryonic stem cell differentiation / Justin St John (Australia)
12:15 – 12:30
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
Chair: Karen Sermon (Belgium)
13:30 – 14:00
Developmental stages of blastocysts: intercellular junctions and cell polarity / Takashi Hiiragi (Germany)
14:00 – 14:15
Chair: Carlos Simon (Spain)
14:15 – 14:45
The role of microRNA in embryos and hESC / Gustavo Tiscornia (Spain)
14:45 – 15:00
15:00 – 15:30
Chair: Rita Vassena (Spain)
15:30 – 16:00
Pluripotency and stem cell states / Ewart Kuijk (The Netherlands)
16:00 – 16:15
Chair: Anis Feki (Switzerland)
16:15 – 16:45
Blastocyst cryopreservation: maximizing survival and development / Etienne Van den Abbeel (Belgium)
16:45 – 17:00
17:00 - 17:30
SIG Embryology Business Meeting