We are happy to invite you to a guest seminar by associate professor Sebastian Canovas (PhD, Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology at University of Murcia, Spain).
Sebastian Canovas has Veterinary Degree (2002), Master degree in Biology and Technology of Reproduction (2005), and PhD degree in Biomedical Experimental Sciences (2007). More than 15 years of research career in different laboratories Univ. of Murcia, Michigan State University-MSU and Cellular Reprogramming Laboratory (LARCEL, Seville and Malaga). Participation in 14 competitive national/regional grants (5 grants as Principal Investigator) and 6 research contracts with companies. Two international awards (Bedford Research Foundation MA, USA and from Burroughs Wellcome Fund). Prof. Canovas has more than 50 peer-review publications (34 JCR publications including PNAS, eLife, Bioessays, Mol Hum Rep, Int J And) and 7 book chapters. Full manuscripts received more than 800 cites (h-index 14), and the results have been presented in different national and international forums. He has participated in several international programs and networks, including EU-COST Actions and the European Program-REPBIOTECH-ITN-EJD (H2020-Marie Curie). With regards to teaching, he has supervised 14 Master Theses and he is currently co-supervising 3 PhD students, one of them in the REPBIOTECH-European Joint Doctorate Programme. Also, he has taught more than 100 ECTS on Human and Animal Physiology, Reproductive Physiology and Epigenetics at graduate level, and Master and Doctoral studies.
Seminar title: “Epigenetic cost of Assisted Reproductive Technologies.”
Abstract: By using a new system for in vitro embryo production we analyzed the genetic and epigenetic impacts of these new protocols, which mimic the physiological conditions of fertilization and early embryo development. This approach showed that supplementation of reproductive fluids improves the outcome of pig IVF (45 %) and the quality of pig blastocysts. We have reported the first datasets for any mammalian species showing whole-genome DNA methylation differences between in vivo and in vitro derived single blastocysts using the pig model. RNA-seq and DNA methylation analyses showed that blastocysts produced in vitro with reproductive fluids (Natur-IVF) have expression and methylation patterns closer to in vivo blastocysts. Methylation analysis detected differentially methylated regions in standard IVF, but not in Natur-IVF, whose methylation could be critical (IGF2R, NNAT). Also, we have analyzed the effect of reproductive fluids on in vitro derived bovine embryos. Differential epigenetic impact between male and females embryos has been observed, with a global positive effect by the addition of reproductive fluids.
Time: Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at 10.30
Place: Tartu, Ravila 14b, seminar room at 2nd floor
The seminar is organized by the ERA Chair of Translational Genomics at the University of Tartu (European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 668989).
