CryoStore diary - Linde Rombaut
ERFP Small Ruminant Semen Cryopreservation Workshop – Uppsala, Sweden | 10-11th June 2025
On June 10th and 11th, I had the opportunity to attend the Small Ruminant Semen Cryopreservation Workshop, initiated and organized by Jane Morrell on behalf of the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP). It took place at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden. ERFP is a European platform dedicated to supporting the conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources. The workshop was held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join either in person or online via Zoom, which made it accessible to a wider audience.
Group photo of all participants attending in person
I arrived a day early, on June 9th, and joined a few fellow participants for dinner. It was a great icebreaker, and an opportunity to start forming connections before the official program had even begun.
The actual workshop started with a warm welcome by Jane Morrell herself. Having read many of her scientific papers, it was exciting to finally meet her in person. The presentations then began, with participants from different European countries sharing their approaches to small ruminant (embryo and) semen cryopreservation. It was fascinating to see the variety of methods, techniques and solutions being applied across Europe and it was remarkable how often we realized we were all running into the same challenges during our work.
Jaana Peippo from LUKE talking about cryoconservation of genetic resources of native sheep and goat breeds in Finland
When it was my turn to present, I teamed up with my supervisor, Prof. Rosa M. Lino Neto Pereira. She introduced our group’s work on the cryopreservation of semen and embryos of Portuguese sheep breeds. I followed with an oral presentation about my recent experiments in andrology, more specifically, a comparison of three different semen extenders and their effects on fresh and frozen-thawed Merino ram sperm. It was the first time I presented this work in front of a group of experts on the topic, so naturally, I was a bit nervous. But the presentation went well, and I received some really thoughtful questions and comments that have sparked my ideas for future experiments.
My first time presenting my research work as a PhD student
One of the highlights of this workshop was the continuous exchange of ideas, not just during the sessions, but also over coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner. The small group size really made it easy to connect with everyone, and the conversations felt productive.
After the first day, we enjoyed a nice dinner together. Afterwards, I took a walk through the city and visited some of Uppsala’s landmarks like the castle, cathedral, and of course spotted some sheep! Uppsala turned out to be a charming city, with a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful old buildings.
On the second day, the presentations and discussions continued, emphasizing the importance of collaborations in our field. As the workshop came to an end, I headed to the airport to return to Norway. Yes, I’m currently in the middle of my first secondment at NMBU and I am really enjoying my time there. Northern Europe continues to intrigue me, and I get to collaborate with multiple researchers while learning so many new techniques in such a short time frame. It has been an incredibly enriching experience.
Next stop? Summer School at INRAE in Rennes, France. I can’t wait to share more with you soon!