Business trip report, Puerto Rico, Franěk

Dr. Franek actively participated in the 20^th International Congress of Developmental Biology, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 18-22. At the conference I gave a talk on "Life history shapes germline development in vertebrates" in the session "Relationship between development and aging". Attending this well-established conference was a unique opportunity to gain insight into the field of animal developmental biology, discuss my own results, and make valuable contacts.

The conference was organized in collaboration with three major professional societies: the International Society of Developmental Biology, the Society for Developmental Biology and the Latin American Society for Developmental Biology. The program covered a wide range of topics in developmental biology, including plenary lectures on topics such as transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of development, regenerative systems, evolution and development of organ systems, morphogenetic influences on development, cell signaling, and the origin of evolutionary novelties.

The programme also included opportunities to establish international collaborations, share experiences and receive feedback from leading experts from around the world. Participation in this conference contributed not only to broaden professional knowledge, but also to strengthen professional contacts and inspire further research work in the field of developmental biology.