Oocyte epigenetic maturation and totipotency - the oocyte competence and its relationship with the ovarian follicular niche

• Grant number: 19/27075-7
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: January 02, 2021
• End date: July 16, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Flávio Vieira Meirelles
• Grantee: Flávio Vieira Meirelles
• Visiting researcher: Lawrence Charles Smith
• Visiting researcher institution: Université de Montréal, Canada
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/08135-2 - CTC - Center for Cell-Based Therapy, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The proposal aims at the participation of the visiting researcher in a series of projects coordinated by the involved team. Including CEPID, INCT, Young Investigators and Regular Projects. Collaboration with Dr. Smith has been around for a long time, and in the recent years it has helped the team to be recognized in this area. His knowledge in his field of nuclear reprogramming has been recognized since the work that began with the production of cloned animals at the Roslin Institute in the 1980s and more recently with epigenetic analysis, closely related to genomic imprinting in animals produced by assisted reproduction techniques. In this proposal his collaboration will be aimed at developing models of analysis of the follicular environment (niche) that results in epigenetic gamete specific modifications. This is a fundamental science issue, and has the potential to be applied in the medium term to improve the production rates of embryos derived from OPU / IVF and or gametes derived from in vitro production. (AU)