Let's talk about dreams

On April 15, an online meeting of people involved in research in the field of Assisted Reproductive Techniques in animals was held. The attendees were: prof. Gaia Cecilia Luvoni from Milan (UniMi), prof. Ann van Soom from Ghent (UGent), prof. Alain Fontbonne from Paris (ENVA), prof. Christine Aurich and Sabine Scheffer-Somi from Vienna (VetMedUni) and prof. Wojciech Niżański and dr Sylwia Prochowska from Wrocław (UPWr).



At the meeting, the feasibility of the project was considered in the context of the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic - the outbreak of the pandemic prevented international exchange and the organization of large events gathering many people in one place (also foreigners), such as a planned series of workshops on animal reproduction.

But there is good news! Most of the people involved in the project are already after the first dose of the vaccine, so we believe that (with the necessary safety rules), in the second half of the year, we will begin to implement the previously suspended mobility.

Regarding the workshops, it was decided that initially they would take the form of an on-line symposium. The advantage of this solution will be the ability to reach a wider audience. If the coronavirus allows, there will be a practical part in the future.



In addition to organizational aspects, Prof. Niżański presented ... his dream, which is to create a European network of centres specialized in banking of the material of endangered species of wild felids and the implementation of reproductive biotechnologies such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization in their protection programs. Each of the Partners in the project has experience and achievements in this field, but acting alone, we have limited possibilities and range of influence. Together we can do more! The creation of the Network will solve two main problems in this area - the loss of valuable material and the low efficiency of these techniques. The construction of such a network will be the subject of another joint grant, however, thanks to the NAWA APM project, it is possible to lay the foundations for this cooperation.



We are optimistic about the future and recall the well-known motto: follow your dreams!