​Heiner Niemann is the Head of the Institute of Farm Animal Genetics in Mariensee and a Professor for Reproductive Biotechnology  at the Veterinary University in Hannover and Honorary Professor at the Hannover Medical University (MHH). His group has made pioneering contributions to the the field of Animal Biotechnology, with emphasis on early embryo development, epigenetic reprogramming, transgenesis and genome editing. He has supervised >100 graduate and PhD students, published > 400 peer reviewed papers and has given numerous lectures around the globe. He received several awards, including most recently the Pioneer Award of the IETS (International Embryo Technology Society) and the Herrmann von Nathusius Medal from the German Society of Animal Production. Christine Wrenzycki holds a position as full professor at the Clinic for Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen and is Head of the Chair for Molecular Reproductive Medicine. She is academic editor of PlosOne and associate editor of BMC Developmental Biology and has published more than 150 peer reviewed papers listed in WoS. She is supervising a group of about 10 doctoral students and one postdoc. She has been the President of the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS) and is currently the President of the German Society of Reproductive Medicine (DGRM). Within the field of reproductive biotechnologies, her main research topics are related to the molecular regulation of preimplantation embryonic development, e.g. effect of different protocols for in vitro maturation on mRNA and protein expression patterns in bovine cumulus-oocyte-complexes and subsequent developmental competence as well as to the epigenetic reprogramming during early embryonic development.