ART for future at the Science fair: from artificial intelligence to the ethics of reproduction

From June 5–7, 2025, the annual Science Fair, the largest public outreach event of the Czech Academy of Sciences, took place in Prague–Letňany. At the booth of the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics (ÚŽFG), we presented the new AV21 Strategy project Future of Assisted Reproduction (ART), coordinated by our institute. With this initiative, the Academy of Sciences responds to the global reproduction crisis by linking cutting-edge basic research in ART with the practice of reproductive clinics.

Visitors to the interactive exhibit learned about the project’s main objectives: developing new methods for selecting the highest-quality embryos using artificial intelligence, preparing germ cells in vitro, identifying the causes of embryonic developmental disorders in animal models, and assessing the long-term effects of ART on human health. The project also addresses the ethical and legal aspects of reproductive technologies and research involving human germ cells and embryos, aiming to provide expert input for future legislative frameworks at both the national and European levels.

Discussions with experts from ÚŽFG drew great interest. Visitors asked about the latest advances in ART and in germ cell preparation and repair, explored the most common causes of infertility, and actively debated the ethical and legal issues surrounding this sensitive research.

The exhibit also included live demonstrations of mammalian egg cell division and the challenges faced by developing embryos. For the youngest visitors, an interactive model of the female reproductive tract offered a playful way to explore how complex the journey of sperm to the egg is, and how many things must align for a new healthy individual to be conceived.

The high number of visitors and their often highly informed questions clearly demonstrated that the future of assisted reproduction is a timely and socially significant topic.

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