Dávid Drutovič

RNDr. Dávid Drutovič, PhD. completed his PhD. at Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice in 2014. Since 2015, he has been working at the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and since 2021, he has been leading the Laboratory of DNA Integrity at the same institute.

Research in his laboratory focuses on the maintenance of genome stability in mammalian oocytes and early embryos in relation to infertility. Mammalian oocytes and early embryos are prone to chromosome segregation errors, which can lead to infertility and developmental defects. The proper assembly of the meiotic spindle, which ensures correct chromosome segregation, is essential for the formation of euploid cells, i.e., cells with the correct number of chromosomes. In recent years, numerous studies have shown that spindle defects in human oocytes are a major cause of age-independent increase in aneuploidy. The laboratory focuses on key processes, including the mechanisms of bipolar spindle assembly, chromosome segregation, cell cycle regulation, and related topics.

The research within the project ART – future of assisted reproduction in David Drutovic’s laboratory will aim to uncover the molecular basis of functional spindle assembly to ensure accurate chromosome segregation in oocytes and early embryos. We will use mammalian oocytes and embryos from model organisms, primarily mice, to define generally applicable mechanisms in mammals, including humans. Our focus will be on elucidating the role of newly identified signaling pathways and describing interactions between these pathways.

https://www.iapg.cas.cz/cs/laboratore/lab-integrity-dna/vyzkum/