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
Evolution of Gametes and Fertilization Mechanisms
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:45 pm - 8:10 pm
"Sperm Development in Drosophila"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pm
Discussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pm
"Egg Size Plasticity in the Reproductively Specialized Queens of Honey Bees"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pm
Discussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pm
"Ancient Molecular Origins of Fertilization Failure"
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
Sperm Maturation, Function, and Guidance
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:35 am
"Sperm Specific Cytoskeletal Proteins; Elaborating on Their Role in Spermatogenesis Using Gene Edited Mice"
9:35 am - 9:45 am
Discussion
9:45 am - 10:10 am
"A (male) Na+ /H+ Exchanger with Potential"
10:10 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:50 am
Coffee Break
10:50 am - 11:15 am
"Mammalian CatSper: A Fresh Perspective on an Essential Channel"
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Discussion
11:25 am - 11:50 am
"Protecting Paternal Chromosomes from Premature Division in the Drosophila Egg"
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
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The GRC Power Hour™
The GRC Power Hour™ is designed to address the interests and needs of all scientists and the challenges they face in their careers. Specifically, the program promotes meaningful conversations amongst colleagues of all career stages about barriers to career advancement and strategies to support the professional growth of all members of the community. The GRC Power Hour™ is open to all conference participants.
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Oogenesis and Preparation for Fertilization
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:45 pm - 8:10 pm
"Meiotic Midbodies: Large Extracellular Vesicles That Contribute to Embryonic Development"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pm
Discussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pm
"Mechanics of Oocyte Divisions and Impact on Competence"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pm
Discussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pm
"Imaging Approaches to Understand the Events During the Oocyte-to-Embryo Transition"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
The Influence of the Reproductive Tract and the Environment on Fertilization
9:00 am - 9:25 am
"Contribution of the Epididymis to Early Embryo Development"
9:25 am - 9:35 am
Discussion
9:35 am - 9:45 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:45 am - 10:10 am
"Saving Eggs: The Cumulative Impact of Ovulation on Fertility and Reproductive Lifespan"
10:10 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:50 am
Coffee Break
10:50 am - 11:15 am
"Oviductin: A Key Regulator of Species-Specific Mammalian Fertilization"
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Discussion
11:25 am - 11:50 am
"Cytoplasmic Mechanics, Aging and Rejuvenation of Mammalian Oocytes"
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 Molecular Basis of Sperm-Egg Interaction
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:45 pm - 8:10 pm
"Components and Assembly of the C. Elegans Fertilization Synapse"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pm
Discussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pm
"Molecular Players Involved in Double Fertilization of Flowering Plants"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pm
Discussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pm
"The key to Life: Unlocking the Molecular Mechanisms of Vertebrate Fertilization"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
The Events of Egg Activation and Initiation of Development
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:35 am
"Double Fertilization and Activation of Seed Development in Plants"
9:35 am - 9:45 am
Discussion
9:45 am - 10:10 am
"Mechanisms Controlling Transcriptional Silencing and Chromatin Dynamics Underlying Oocyte Developmental Competence"
10:10 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:50 am
Coffee Break
10:50 am - 11:15 am
"Trafficking of RNAs and Organelles Regulating Preimplantation Embryogenesis"
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Discussion
11:25 am - 11:50 am
"Mechanics of Blastocyst Morphogenesis"
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 Science of Contraception
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:45 pm - 8:10 pm
"Novel Genes of the Male Reproductive System: Potential Roles in Male Reproduction and as Non-Hormonal Male Contraceptive Targets"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pm
Discussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pm
"Antisperm Antibodies Targeting the Egg–Sperm Fertilization Complex"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pm
Discussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pm
Late-Breaking Topic
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
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; Election of the Next Vice Chair(s)
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Technologies for Understanding and Improving Reproduction
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:35 am
"Microfluidics and Machine Learning for Understanding Reproduction"
9:35 am - 9:45 am
Discussion
9:45 am - 10:10 am
"High-Resolution Cryo-EM Structures of Sperm Axonemes Across Diverse Species"
10:10 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:50 am
Coffee Break
10:50 am - 11:15 am
"Reconstructing Fertilization Using Biomimetic Particle-Based Systems"
11:15 am - 11:25 am
Discussion
11:25 am - 11:50 am
"Construction of Gene Regulatory Networks in Oocytes"
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
Keynote Session: Learning Reproduction and Development from Synthetic Embryology and Embryoid Models
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:45 pm - 7:55 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
7:55 pm - 8:00 pm
Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm
Short Talk Selected from Poster Abstracts
8:10 pm - 8:15 pm
Discussion
8:15 pm - 9:15 pm
"Synthetic Ex Utero Embryogenesis: From Naive Stem Cells to Bona Fide Whole Embryo Models"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am
Departure