Speaker: Dr. Haiqi Chen, UT Southwestern Medical Center, USA
Title: Spatially resolved, functional dissection of the spermatogonial stem cell niche
Description: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the testis support the lifelong production of sperm. SSCs reside within specialized microenvironments called ‘‘niches,’’ which are essential for SSC self-renewal and differentiation. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts to combine spatial transcriptomics, computational analyses, and functional assays to systematically dissect the molecular, cellular, and spatial composition of SSC niches.
Speaker: Dr. Fei Zhao, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Title: Cell fate decisions in sex duct development
Description: Alfred Jost’s work in the 1940s laid the foundation of the current paradigm of sexual differentiation of reproductive tracts. Using genetic animal models, ex vivo experiments, and single cell sequencing based technologies, we have gained significant insights into this process, challenging existing dogmas. The yielded knowledge will enable us to not only decipher the fundamental process of dimorphic establishment of reproductive tracts, but also provide insights into how defects and diseases originate from impaired fetal development.
Speaker: Dr. Britt Goods, Dartmouth College, USA
Title: Using single-cell transcriptomics to understand ovulation and drive contraceptive discovery
Description: Single-cell methods have revolutionized our ability to understand complex processes. My research leverages these methods, including single-cell RNA-sequencing, to better understand ovulation and inform drug discovery. Here, I will discuss some recent work we have performed to understand factors that drive ovulation over time with spatial transcriptomics datasets and how we have used this, plus data integration methods, to nominate novel drug targets.
Speaker: Dr. Azusa Inoue, RIKEN, Yokohama, Japan
Title: Genomic imprinting mediated by maternal histone modifications
Description:
This special topics SSR webinar will focus on the current state of genetic modifications in agriculture. Especially, how gene editing has been harnessed in reproductive biology to address health and productivity challenges in livestock, with a focus on the poultry, pork, and beef industries. Discussion will highlight both recent successes and outstanding hurdles. Topics will also be held the context of regulatory policies, social appetite, and food security.
Moderator:
Michela Ciccarelli, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACT
Assistant Professor
Comparative Theriogenology
Veterinary Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
Washington State University
Panelists:
Jon M. Oatley, PhD
Associate Dean for Research
Professor, School of Molecular Biosciences
Director, Functional Genomics Initiative
College of Veterinary Medicine
Washington State University
Mike McGrew, PhD
Personal Chair of Avian Reproductive Technologies (ART)
The Roslin Institute
Easter Bush Campus
University of Edinburgh
Since genetically modified animals are helpful for functional analysis of gene or genome information, they are widely used in various life science studies, including Reproductive Biology. With the recent development of genetic modification tools, such as the CRISPR/Cas system, it is now possible to perform genetic modification via zygotes, which was once only possible using ES cells. This talk will introduce the technologies the speaker has reported or is under development.
Recently developed gene-editing techniques have revolutionized our ability to create valuable models of disease. Dr. Jon Hennebold talks about research efforts to use gene-editing approaches for the creation of nonhuman primate disease models that will be critical for understanding their pathology as well as the development of novel therapies.
