Monthly Archives: December 2014

5th call for STSM resulted in 13 new stays totally funded

The 13 applications for STSM received in the 5th call will be totally funded by the AQUAGAMETE COST Action. With them, a total of 29 stays will have been granted in the entire 2nd Grant Period.

Mapa STSM 2nd grant period completo

This time, grantees will travel from Portugal to Spain (1); Spain to France (1); Czech Republic to France (2); Poland to France (1); Hungary to France (1); Spain to Norway (1); Portugal to Spain (1); Hungary to Czech Republic (1); Germany to France (1); Greece to Bulgaria (1): Slovenia to Spain (1) and Spain to Poland (1).

We wish all of them a comfortable and fruitful stay!

New Training School in Vodnany

Optical Microscopy and Image Analysis
Vodnany (Czech Republic), 16th – 20th March 2015

Dear colleagues,

The AQUAGAMETE COST Action (aquagamete.webs.upv.es/web) is pleased to announce the 4th AQUAGAMETE Training School. This Training School is aimed towards young researchers (PhD students, young post-docs and MSc students) as well as representatives from industry. The course will be focused on Optical Microscopy Techniques and Image Analysis Facilities assisted by Computer used in Reproductive Biology, potentially applicable to aquatic gametes and early embryos. Various aspects of expertise and topics will be covered, such as:

* Principles of optical microscopy techniques applied to Biology.
* Practical applications of optical combinations: phase-contrast, differential interference contrast, dark-field, fluorescence, confocal and optical sectioning microscopy.
* Collection of images generated by a microscope: photo- or video-cameras, including high-speed video-cameras.
* Computer assisted image analysis applied to fast moving microscopic objects like spermatozoa or to large and still objects like eggs.
* Data analysis using different soft-wares dedicated to these applications: CASA, Image J plug-ins, cell morphometry soft-wares, etc.
* Modelisation and quantitative predictions of cell behavior.

The 4th AQUAGAMETE Training School will highlight the most recent developments in each topic, thanks to invited lecturers so as to promote a strong interaction between trainees working on different aspects of Reproductive Biology of Aquatic Gametes and experienced trainers as specialists in the use, improvement and development involved in the above-mentioned Optical and Computer applications.

The Training Course will take place from 16th to 20th of March 2015 in the facilities of the Faculty of Fisheries and Quality of Waters, in Vodnany (Czech Republic) and its organization will rely mostly on the staff of the Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology belonging to the Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, with assistance of members of the Institute of Complex Systems.

For efficiency reasons, good level of know-how transfer and practical access of trainees to microscopes, the number of participants will be restricted to 12 trained persons. Financial support from the AQUAGAMETE COST Action will be available for students. Registration fee for students (250 euros) and for industry representatives (400 euros) will include all lunches and breakfasts, accommodation for 5 nights, access to lectures and laboratory practices, support material, transport between facilities and main accommodation place.

The application deadline is 10th of January 2015 and complete applications must be sent via e-mail to aquagamete@gmail.com. Eligible candidates will be announced by the 7th of February 2015. For more detailed information, you can e-mail your message to local contacts: Jacky Cosson (jacosson@gmail.com) or Klára Kovaříková (kkovarikova@frov.jcu.cz).

Applications should include:

* Application form;
* Short Curriculum Vitae in the area (only for students);
* Motivation letter for participating in the training school, which should indicate 
the academic/professional status of the applicant;
* Letter of recommendation from the applicant’s supervisor or employer;
* Financial Support justification (only for students), in which trainees should make an estimation of their expenses during the week of the Training School.

We would appreciate if you could forward this announcement via e-mail to colleagues or students who may be interested in participating.

Practical information: Closest city with international airport is Prague (PRAHA). We shall try to arrange a shuttle bus to lead attendants from Prague airport to our Faculty in Vodnany. Also, a shuttle bus would be organized to drive your from local accommodation place to our Institute.

More information will be available soon at: http://aquagamete.webs.upv.es/

Files to download:
First Announcement Training School Vodnany
Application form training school Vodnany 201503

AE2014 Summary Report

Portada AE2014 Summary Report

The Aquaculture Europe 2014 Conference dedicated a special session to AQUAGAMETE COST Action that was entitled “Biology of Aquatic Species Gametes – AQUAGAMETE”. This special session lasted one full day, October 15th (chaired by Drs. Juan F. Asturiano and Ákos Horváth), and the morning of October 16th (chaired by Drs. Paz Herráez and Constantinos C. Mylonas) with a total of 24 speakers.
The first day’s session was opened by the Chair of the Action with a resume of activities carried out during the first grant period (March 2013-May 2014) of the AQUAGAMETE COST Action www.aquagamete.webs.upv.es including meetings, workshops, training schools and short-term scientific missions.
The rest of presentations delivered during the session covered a range of topics englobed by this Action. The first 3 presentations were dedicated to proteomics and protein identification in the seminal plasma of different cultured fish species, evidencing the high number of specific techniques available. The next 4 presentations were dedicated to new and comparative methods for the cryopreservation of sperm of aquacultured species and zebrafish, including some standardization objectives, one of the major targets of the Action. Sperm motility and sperm quality evaluation were the subject of 6 further presentations, including studies in fish species and oysters. The last 3 presentations of the first day’s session were dedicated to studies on germ cells during embryogenesis in tench, interspecific transplantation of spermatogonia and oogonia in sturgeons, and genotoxic damages in rainbow trout.
The second day started with 5 presentations highlighting aspects related to eggs (sampling, development, quality) and fertilization. The final 3 presentations addressed endocrine disruption in different fish species as well as to development of hormonal treatments to induce spawning induction in carp.
A total of 21 posters related to AQUAGAMETE were presented during the poster sessions, including miscellaneous studies with different subjects: endocrine disruption, hormonal treatments, sperm-testis, ovary-egg-fertilization, and sperm cryopreservation and vitrification.
A total of 19 speakers (15 early-stage researchers and 4 senior) were selected as eligible for reimbursement by AQUAGAMETE COST Action.
AE2014 Summary report can be downloaded here.