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SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS// EMBRYOLOGY //Culture media high on the agenda for IstanbulWorkshopsTime passes quickly, and it is againtime to report our activities. Since thelast issue of Focus on Reproductionin September, we have had aworkshop in St Petersburg, Russia, incollaboration with the SIGReproductive Endocrinology and theParamedical group. There were almost 200 participants,and the evaluation was very positive indeed.Joint workshops are often very successful because of theopportunity to expand knowledge to topics outside ourmain area of interest, to subjects that often overlap witheach other. It is a great opportunity to work together withother SIGs and Task Forces.So, for 2012 we have plans for more joint workshops.The first is an event organsied with the SIG ReproductiveGenetics and Task Force Basic Science, the 7th workshopon Mammalian folliculogenesis and oogenesis due to takeplace in Stresa, Italy, on 19-21st April. The course has ascientific focus, with topics covering the full circle fromprimordial cells, through meiosis and maturation, to theinfluence of maternal health and diet.In the autumn we are planning a practically orientedcourse with the SIG Andrology, The best sperm for the bestoocyte to take place in Greece in October, the exact datestill to be decided. Check on the website for updates!Culture media in Istanbul 2012Although now cold and dark, we have a summer meetingto look forward to . . . our precongress course at theannual meeting in Istanbul, which will be focused on IVFculture media. This is a very hot topic indeed. We knowthat culture media are becoming more and more complex,enriched with different supplements, with compositions notfully known by the users. It has been shown that differentculture media have different effects, not only on embryoquality and implantation rates, but also on pregnancyoutcome such as fetal growth and birth weight. Thisimplies that culture media affect inherent factors, possiblyrelated to epigenetics. Our precongress course in Istanbul,Culture media: the best environment for gametes andembryos, will consider what oocytes and embryos need -and perhaps do not need - and how embryo culture andenvironment might influence early development.Embryology certificationThe clinical embryology certification exam in Istanbul isSteering committeeKersti Lundin (SE), Co-ordinatorMaria José de los Santos (ES), DeputyJosephine Lemmen (DK), DeputyCristina Magli (IT), Past Co-orindatorAna Sousa Lopes (BE), Junior Deputythe first for which embryologistsfrom outside Europe have beenallowed to apply. The procedure ismoving along well.We are also pleased to announce thatESHRE certified embryologists cannow renew their certification throughthe new CEEC (ContinuousEmbryology Education Credit) system to be launched verysoon. As reported on page 6, this is a voluntary scheme tostimulate continual learning by clinical embryologists, tovalidate their attendance at meetings and workshops andrecognise publications and other activities. However, thescheme does not imply any loss of validity from apreviously obtained ESHRE clinical embryologycertification.The Atlas of Embryology: from oocytes to preimplantationembryosWe are happy and proud to announce that the newembryology atlas is not far off completion. The workinggroup, led very efficiently by Gayle Jones, has done afantastic job, together with the ESHRE’s Central Office andIT team. The atlas, in an electronic format, will contain alarge number of pictures of oocytes, zygotes, cleavage stageembryos and blastocysts, fresh and frozen, groupedaccording to development and scoring. We believe that itwill be very valuable for embryologists to share a commonnomenclature as well as having a dynamic reference andlearning tool.Kersti LundinCo-ordinator SIG EmbryologyA first glimpse of how the Atlas of Embryology will look.Focus on Reproduction January 2012 17