1st GERMAN DFG REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCE NETWORK MEETING

Dear colleagues, Welcome to the 1st German DFG Reproductive Science Network Meeting in Giessen. The inspiration behind this meeting is the fact that Reproductive Sciences in Germany have undergone major positive changes in the last few years. No one can dispute that Reproductive Sciences are strongly needed in the face of the constantly increasing proportion of infertile couples in our population, fears of the possible transmission of genetic and epigenetic risks to the next generation by assisted reproduction techniques (ART) and the exciting potential gonadal stem cells are offering for the treatment of infertility. However, the interaction between research groups working in this field has been dormant for some years and the perspectives for our young scientists were only vague. This situation has now changed drastically, with several initiatives and applications, having reproduction as the focus, being successfully granted by the DFG. Today, we are facing the gratifying situation of two Research Units and a Priority Programme with a focus on Reproduction currently operating in Germany. A few weeks ago, a third Research Unit on reproduction was established in Veterinary Medicine. This not only paves the way for doing exciting research using unique animal models and clinical studies, but also opens new avenues to develop further interactions between research groups, which places Germany at the forefront in the determination of the potential of gonadal stem cells and the establishing of safe treatment options for couples undergoing ART. Thus, this meeting in Giessen should not only present the actual research ongoing in the two Research Units, but in addition should form the platform for thinking about perspectives in Reproductive Sciences for the next years. We would like to especially thank the reviewers of the two Research Units for coming to this meeting and also welcome those guests who attend just because of the scientific programme. We strongly hope that this meeting can act as the starting point for a bright future in a field which represents the origin of life. What better place for a scientist to work on. We wish you a stimulating meeting and a very pleasant stay in Giessen! Jörg Gromoll and Klaus Steger