Kateřina Komrsková
Assoc. Prof. Kateřina Komrsková, Ph.D. studied biology and chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Charles University, where she also obtained her doctoral degree in Developmental Biology. She is currently the Head of the Reproductive Biology Group at the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of fertilization and the role of specific proteins in sperm maturation, gamete interaction and fusion, and early embryonic development. She is dedicated to the biotechnological application of basic research discoveries to address problems of infertility and declining sperm quality. She is a co-inventor of a breakthrough technology for the diagnostics and separation of undamaged sperm, intended for human assisted reproduction and livestock breeding.
Our team focuses on studying the molecular mechanisms of mammalian fertilization. We investigate the role of specific proteins that are crucial for gamete maturation, sperm–oocyte interaction, and early embryonic development. To evaluate reproductive processes, we employ advanced methods from 3D molecular analysis to artificial intelligence tools. At the same time, we are developing innovative approaches in assisted reproduction techniques with the goal of improving the selection and quality of gametes and embryos.
Within the ART of the Future project, we contribute to the characterization of extracellular vesicles from the reproductive tract and embryos, and to the evaluation of their influence on gamete maturation, fertilization, and early embryonic development in mammals, aiming at both their potential practical applications and a deeper understanding of physiological processes occurring between gametes and the reproductive tract. The project also includes the preparation and standardization of testicular organoid cultures for studying Sertoli cells and male germ cells at different stages of spermatogenesis. Our ultimate goal is to develop an in vitro sperm maturation methodology that will make it possible to obtain mature and functional sperm in patients who cannot produce them naturally.
https://www.ibt.cas.cz/cs/vyzkumne-laboratore/laborator-reprodukcni-biologie/
