People often assume that once eggs and sperm are produced, they're immediately ready for fertilization and early development, and that the animal doesn’t need to change to support these processes. However, this isn't correct!

Mariana F. Wolfner, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Cornell University, will examine how eggs "activate" for development, how proteins in the female reproductive tract associate with sperm, and how male proteins induce changes in female Drosophila to support successful reproduction at this year’s Arnold M. Clark Memorial Lecture. The event will be held Tuesday, April 8 at 4 p.m. in Trabant Theater.

Wolfner’s research focuses on understanding the genetic and molecular bases for important reproductive processes that occur around the time when a sperm fertilizes an egg. The lab primarily uses the Drosophila model, which is quick and easy to study and whose results generalize to mammals and other animals. Wolfner is a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow and is currently Associate Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics.

Registration is required to attend this lecture.

A reception will be held after the lecture in Trabant Multipurpose Room A.

Learn more about upcoming and previous Arnold M. Clark Memorial Lectures.