Sunday April 4

16:00 – 18:30

Registration (Aula Foyer)

18:30 – 20:00

Welcome Reception (Peristilium)

Monday April 5

08:30 – 08:50

Registration (Aula Foyer)

08:50 – 09:00

Welcome / Opening Ceremony (Aula)
Professor Alan McNeilly (Edinburgh, UK) / Professor Ann Van Soom (Ghent, Belgium)

09:00 – 11:00

Symposium 1: Recent Advances in the Biology of Assisted Reproduction (Aula)
Chairs: Professor Aart de Kruif (Ghent, Belgium) / tbc

09:00 – 09:40

Intra-uterine Insemination

Dr. Steven Verberckmoes (Ghent, Belgium)

09:40 – 10:20

In Vitro Follicle Maturation in Humans and Domestic Livestock

Dr. Helen Picton (Leeds, UK)

10:20 – 11:00

Derivation of Oocytes from Embryonic Stem Cells

Professor Hans R Scholer (Pennsylvania, USA)

11:00 – 11:30

Coffee and Trade Exhibition (Peristilium)

11:30 – 12:50

Symposium 1 (continued): Recent Advances in the Biology of Assisted Reproduction (Aula)
Chairs: Professor Aart de Kruif (Ghent, Belgium)/ tbc

11:30 – 12:10

Embryo-Pathogen Interactions

Professor Ann Van Soom (Ghent, Belgium)

12:10 – 12:50

Embryonic Genome Analysis

Professor Heiner Niemann (Neustadt, Germany)

13:00 – 13:30

SRF Annual General Meeting (Aula)

Followed by Lunch (Het Pand)

13:00 – 14:20

Lunch (Het Pand)

14:30 – 16:00

Oral Session 1: Corpus Luteum & Female Reproductive Endocrinology
(Aula) (note: parallel session)
Chair: tbc

14:30

Pre-ovulatory follicle dynamics and subsequent corpus luteum function in the cow

Robinson RS, Hammond AJ, Hunter MG & Mann GE

14:45

Leptin in the bovine corpus luteum - receptor expression and effects on progesterone production

Nicklin LT, Glister C, Robinson RS, Marsters P, Campbell BK, Knight PG, Mann GE & Hunter MG

15:00

Fasting stimulates VEGF mRNA expression and steroidogenesis in pig corpora lutea

Galeati G, Zannoni A, Spinaci M, Govoni N, Fantinati P, De Ambrogi M, Volpe S & Tamanini C

15:15

Ovarian response, embryo yield and antibody formation after repeated superovulation of pigs

Reischl J & Holtz W

15:30

Effect of a high fibre diet prior to oestrus on reproductive hormones in gilts

Ferguson EM, Slevin J, Hunter MG, Edwards SA & Ashworth CJ

15:45

Are suprabasal progesterone levels involved in the pathogenesis of cystic ovarian disease in dairy cattle?

Vanholder T, Leroy JLMR, Opsomer G, Coryn M, Dewulf J & de Kruif A

14:30 – 16:00

Oral Session 2: Embryology & Pregnancy
(Conference Room) (note: parallel session)
Chair: tbc

14:30

Preimplantation development, apoptosis and ultrastructure of in vitro cultured rabbit embryos derived from in vivo fertilized gene-microinjected eggs

Makarevich AV, Chrenek P, Pivko J, Zilka N & Bulla J

14:45

Permeability of murine zona pellucida to fluorescent particles

Mateusen B, Van Soom A, Nauwynck HJ, Schmidt J & Mahabir E

15:00

The onset of zygotic genome activation measured in single mouse embryos using luciferase reporters and an imaging photon detector

Rogers NT, Larman M & Swann K

15:15

Effect of cobalt/vitamin B12 status on ovum recovery from superovulated ewes

Mitchell LM, van der Ven W, van Soest W, Watt RG, Ashworth CJ, Rooke JA & McEvoy TG

15:30

Use of heterologous and homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) for ovine Pregnancy-Associated Glycoprotein (ovPAG) determination to detect pregnancy in sheep

Vandaele L, Verberckmoes S, De Cat S, El Amiri B, Sulon J, Duchateau L, Van Soom A & Beckers JF

15:45

The anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 protects against LPS-induced miscarriage and preterm labour

Robertson SA & Skinner RJ

16:00 – 16:30

Tea/Coffee and Trade Exhibition (Peristilium)

16:30 – 18:30

Attended Posters (Peristilium)

(refreshments provided)

18:30 onwards

Free Evening

(a list of local restaurants and bars will be provided in the delegate packs with further copies available at the Registration Desk)