BOR Research Paper of the Year
Oct. 28, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:30 AM Central
Can small extracellular vesicles rescue oocyte development when cellular energy systems fail? Disruptions in lipid and glucose metabolism during in vitro maturation (IVM) pose a major hurdle to oocyte quality and blastocyst development.
Join us for an exclusive webinar with Ewelina Warzych, PhD, recipient of the Biology of Reproduction Research Paper of the Year: “Follicular-fluid extracellular vesicles support energy metabolism of bovine oocytes, improving blastocyst development and quality.”
Dr. Warzych will share how her team disrupted energy pathways using targeted lipid and glucose inhibitors (etomoxir, iodoacetate, and DHEA)—and discovered how follicular fluid-derived small extracellular vesicles (FF-sEVs) step in to protect the oocyte.
What you’ll learn:
- Direct transport routes: How FF-sEVs travel through transzonal projections straight into the ooplasm.
- Cellular response to stress: Why cumulus cells under metabolic pressure actively ramp up EV uptake to protect energy pathways.
- Developmental outcomes: How adding FF-sEVs during IVM boosts nuclear maturation, reorganizes lipid droplets, and leads to higher-quality blastocysts.