Dear friends,

It is with great satisfaction that we prepare the scientific program for our 36th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society of Embryo Technology, in Campinas, SP. This program was born in 2022 and grew rapidly in early 2023. We were able to bring colleagues to our meeting to address current research topics and their applications and implications in the field and laboratory, and thus offer a robust event with international speakers recognized in their areas of acting.

There are four Workshops that take place on August 9th (Wednesday), before the opening of the main event. Workshop 1 addresses reproductive management and aspects of TAI and TET in cattle, while Workshop 2 addresses challenges of in vitro embryo production with a focus on the involvement of extracellular vesicles in the uterine and follicular environment and the impact on the IVF system. Workshop 3 focuses on andrology, addressing male selection and ultrasonographic analysis for evaluating bulls, in addition to the implications of sperm defects and the application of stem cells in the reproductive clinic in cattle. Workshop 4 addresses reproduction in small ruminants, discussing TAI challenges, algorithmic image analysis for embryos, and aspects of production and cryopreservation of goat and sheep embryos.

In the following two days, the main event takes place, with two presentations in the general plenary addressing reproduction and food production in sustainable livestock. On Thursday, the SBTE Technology and Innovation session will take place, addressing artificial intelligence and the use of sensors in modern livestock, the use of recombinant proteins for ovarian stimulation, and the role of pre-ovulatory estradiol in gestational success. On Friday, SBTE Science will take place with presentations on the influence of paternal nutrition on fetal programming and the potential of engineering micro and nanosystems in animal reproduction. Innovations in pre-implantation diagnosis with a focus on non-invasive techniques and biopsies for embryonic genomic selection in bovine will also be discussed. Still, on Friday afternoon, the SBTE Technology will take place simultaneously with a round table with pivotal researchers on TAI for a discussion with the audience on the advances and bottlenecks of the dairy and beef herds technique.

A novelty was prepared for this year: presentations of themes in duets, where two speakers share the stage to present their data and opinions on the topic. The objective is to have dynamic presentations where researchers from different groups can share their information simultaneously. There are two presentations in this format, with the first in the SBTE Technology and Innovation session where two colleagues present and discuss the prohibition of hormones in animal reproduction, and the second in the SBTE Science session, with two colleagues presenting and discussing maternal control and gamete quality in the embryonic competence. As we approach the end of our journey, we will also have the Student Competition presentations and the SBTE General Assembly.

Finally, during the closing ceremony, the SBTE will recognize the best students and works in the basic and applied areas, and the best work by a professional in the field. In the end, the highlights awards take place, through which SBTE recognizes the role and impact of researchers and professionals in the evolution and application of reproductive biotechnologies in production animals.

The Scientific Board would like to thank all the speakers and authors for their contributions and for accepting the challenge of contributing to this SBTE meeting. We also thank our funding agencies CNPq, CAPES, and FAPESP, the abstract Judging Committees, moderators, and everyone who contributed to the publication of the SBTE proceedings. Among these, we would like to highlight our thanks to the area coordinators, abstract reviewers, the Editorial Committee of the Animal Reproduction journal, the Brazilian College of Animal Reproduction (CBRA), and the support team. We would like to thank all the members of the SBTE board of directors who devoted their efforts, with great enthusiasm, to offering an event worthy of welcoming the members of our society.

Guilherme Pugliesi

Luiz Sérgio de Almeida Camargo

Marcílio Nichi

SBTE Scientific Board

2023-2024