The 10th International Workshop on the Biology of Fish Gametes was held from 11–14 October 2026 at Bal Resort, Balatonalmádi, Hungary. The event was organised by the Institute of Aquaculture and Environmental Safety, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), in collaboration with Diamond Congress Kft.
The first day was dedicated to registration and a welcome dinner. The second day started with scientific sessions featuring oral and poster presentations from researchers and students. From our faculty, Olga Bondarenko presented on the role of membrane permeability and ion channels in fish reproduction, followed by Aarón Torres Martínez, who discussed molecular and morphological signatures in zebrafish ovarian ageing. Tomáš Tichopád presented on hormonal control of sex differentiation in triploid zebrafish, while Roman Franěk delivered an informative talk on the distribution of germline proliferation in annual killifish. Essaikiammal Konar discussed how a young gonadal environment can reverse male reproductive ageing, and Martin Pšenička presented on germline specification in sturgeon embryos.
On 13 October, multiple oral and poster presentations by scientists and students covered various aspects of fish gamete biology and reproduction.
On 14 October, Serhii Boryshpolets presented on restoring the biological significance of CASA parameters using high-frame-rate sperm-tracking techniques. Vitaliy Kholodnyy discussed the enhancement of sperm performance by ovarian fluid in salmonids in Japan. Our PhD student Laurine Mueni presented research on the effects of the rheological properties of fertilisation media on sperm motility across various fish models, while Zhijun Ma discussed sperm quality and epigenetic modifications in common carp following short-term storage. The final oral presentation from our faculty was delivered by Anatolii Sotnikov on large-volume sperm cryopreservation.
In the poster sessions, four students from our faculty presented their research. Md Sabbir Hossain discussed the short-term storage of zebrafish sperm, while Mohammad Rashed presented work on the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of the sperm-specific CNGK gene and its effects on sperm motility. João Ferreira presented an overview of establishing a three-dimensional testicular organoid system using AggreWell technology to study spermatogenesis in fish. Finally, Arpit Sivchandan presented research on zebrafish testis regeneration, focusing on its cellular and molecular aspects.
The workshop concluded with a gala dinner, allowing participants to exchange scientific ideas and build professional connections.
We sincerely thank the organisers and the workshop chairperson, Ákos Horváth, for providing this valuable opportunity. The workshop was an enjoyable and enriching scientific experience in the beautiful surroundings of Balatonalmádi, Hungary.
