Reproduction – from Genes to Molecules and Function

Basic data for this project

Description

Sexual reproduction requires the formation, maturation, and fusion of male and female gametes, followed by embryonic development, pregnancy, and birth. Each of these steps is coordinated by complex genetic, cellular, and hormonal processes, which are not yet fully understood. The Topical Programme “Reproduction – From Genes to Molecules and Function” bundles several translational and multidisciplinary projects dedicated to the reproductive cycle. The aim is to investigate the function of sperm and oocytes, the fertilisation process, embryonic development, and the tissues and organs involved in the reproductive process during various life phases. The programme will examine how age, lifestyle, and environmental factors affect reproductive functions, and investigate the causes of infertility and the risk of disease associated with it. In the clinical research group “Male Germ Cells” (CRU326), funded since 2017, biologists, biochemists, bioinformaticists, physicists, and clinicians have been studying the genetics and function of male germ cells. Their work will form the core of this larger-scale Topical Programme. Its focus will be on the function of male and female germ cells, which involves, e.g., the analysis of how female hormones influence flagella movement of sperm cells.