PhD course: Sperm Quality Evaluation

Page reviewed:  28/10/2026

A PhD course arranged by Graduate School for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (GS-VMAS) in collaboration with the Centre for Reproductive Biology in Uppsala (CRU).

Report

The course was held at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), involving 5 participants from SLU and 5 from universities in other countries (Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Poland). This mix of participants helped to create a really vibrant atmosphere, with a wide range of topics within Reproduction and experience with a variety of species. We certainly enjoyed some lively discussions! The speakers were equally diverse in their subject matter, covering everything from extracellular vesicles to the impact of the seminal microbiome on sperm quality via sperm energy metabolism. The species covered were equally varied, with examples from Golden Eagles to humans! The students had a chance to present their own projects too, which they accomplished very well, giving extremely interesting short talks. In addition, we enjoyed a social evening together, courtesy of CRU (many thanks), which took place at Basilico, Svartbäcksgatan. 

Course schedule 

Monday 12th October

  • 9.00-9.30 Introduction 
  • 9:45-10.00 Coffee break
  • 10.00-10.45 Spermatogenesis – overview and principles of mammalian spermatogenesis and semen production in vivo (Olga Sajecka)
  • 10.45-12.00 Introduction to Sperm Quality Evaluation (Jane Morrell; All)
  • 12.00-13.00 Lunch 
  • 13.00.13:45 Factors influencing sperm quality (Eduardo Arroyo) 
  • 13:45-14:30 Seminal plasma (Jane Morrell)
  • 14:30- 15:00 Coffee break
  • 15:00-15:45 Fertility-related protein dynamics in spermatozoa during fertilization (Yoojin Park)
  • 15:45-16:30 Extracellular vesicles (Adrian San Juan )

Tuesday 13th October

  • 9.00-9:45 Semen cryopreservation (Manuel Alvarez Rodriguez)
  • 9:45-10.15 coffee break
  • 10.15-11.15 Computer assisted sperm analysis; light and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry (Eva Axnér/Jane Morrell)
  • 11:15-12:00 Fertilizing capacity: in vitro fertilization, heterologous and zona-free binding assays (Alba Peres-Gomez)
  • 12.30-13.30 Lunch
  • 13:30- 17:00 practical classes and demonstrations (KV-lab, 3rd floor and sperm freezing lab)

Wednesday 14th October

  • 09:00-10:00 Oxidative stress in sperm, DNA damage (Zamira Gibb)
  • 10.00-10:30 coffee break 
  • 10:30-11.15 Microfluidics for selecting human sperm (Alba Peres-Gomez)
  • 11.15-12:00 Colloid centrifugation (Jane Morrell)
  • 12.00-13.00 Lunch
  • 13:00.17:00 practical classes and demonstrations (KV-lab, 3rd floor)  

Thursday 15th October

  • 9.00-0-9:45 Rabbit sperm collection and quality (Alejandro Carrillo) 
  • 9:45-10.15 coffee break
  • 10.15-11.00 Sperm fertility biomarkers (Myung-Geol Pang)
  • 11:00-12:00 Avian sperm quality; conservation breeding (Julián Santiago Moreno)
  • 12.00-13.00 Lunch
  • 13.00-17:00 practical classes and demonstrations (KV-lab, 3rd floor)  

Friday 16th October

  • 09.00 -09.45 Introduction to microbiome (Johan Dicksved)
  • 09:45- 10:15 Coffee break
  • 10:15- 11:00 The microbiome and its implications for Human reproduction (Young Ju Kim).
  • 11.00 -11:45 Gut microbiome and reproduction in pigs (CongBang Ngo)
  • 11.45-12.00 general discussion
  • 12.00-13.00 Lunch
  • 13:00-13.45 Cultivable preputial bacterial flora and bacterial contamination of raw semen in AI boars housed on deep litter and concrete floors (Franziska Pilger) 
  • 13:45-14:30 PFAS and fertility (Ida Hallberg)
  • 14:30 – 15:00 coffee break 
  • 15:00-15:45 Intergenerational effects through small RNAs - from sperm to offspring (Anna Asratian)
  • 15:45-16.00 Round-table and course evaluation

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