第五届全国“配子发生高峰论坛”

China's socioeconomic development faces severe demographic challenges: on one hand, the national birth rate continues to decline while infertility prevalence rises steadily, making population reproduction and reproductive health critical issues demanding urgent resolution for sustainable national development; on the other hand, with the establishment of advanced technologies such as gene editing, single-cell multi-omics, and high-resolution multi-dimensional imaging, exploring the cell biological mysteries of reproduction—uncovering novel principles and mechanisms—has become a new international scientific frontier. With strong national support, China’s reproductive research has grown rapidly, achieving many breakthrough results, establishing a strategically deep research system, and cultivating a vibrant research community. Thus, following collaborative efforts by numerous scholars, the Chinese Society for Cell Biology officially approved the establishment of the Germ Cell Biology Branch. After several months of intensive preparation, the Inaugural Meeting of the Germ Cell Biology Branch will be held in Hefei, Anhui Province, from December 6–8, 2024, to elect branch leadership, discuss formation of task forces, and plan future activities.

Coinciding with the branch’s founding, the First Academic Exchange Meeting of the Germ Cell Biology Branch of the Chinese Society for Cell Biology and the 4th National Symposium on Gametogenesis will also be convened. This symposium focuses on cutting-edge ideas and findings related to spermatogenesis and oogenesis, gamete maturation and function, associated research technologies, and their implications for human reproductive health. Its goal is to build an intellectually vibrant, high-level scientific exchange platform—to strengthen communication among germ cell researchers, expand research collaboration opportunities, foster long-term cooperation between basic research and clinical applications/industrial translation, and advance research driven by clinically relevant reproductive health questions. The meeting features keynote talks, thematic presentations, poster sessions, and the First Working Meeting of the Germ Cell Biology Branch Steering Committee.