On 27 October, the Polish Academy of Sciences Scientific Centre in Paris hosted the second consecutive meeting summarising Polish-French research cooperation between teams from the Jagiellonian University’s Institute of Zoology (led by Professor Agnieszka Rak) and the Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (led by Dr Joelle Dupont). The teams, composed of experienced researchers, but mainly young scientists, discussed the results of their projects funded by the National Science Centre, the Ministry of Education and Science in Poland and the Région Centre Val de Loire in France. The research topics concern the molecular mechanisms controlling female reproductive function by determining the effects of adipokines – adipose tissue hormones, neuropeptides and environmental factors – on the function of cells of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in animal and human models. Representatives of the Polish Academy of Sciences also took part in the seminar – the guest lecture was given by Anna Szóstek-Mioduchowska, PhD, from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, while Michał Surowski from the Office for Scientific Excellence of the Polish Academy of Sciences gave a presentation on opportunities and support in applying for ERC grants. All speeches provoked a lively discussion, showing the different approaches of the Polish and French teams to the presented research problems and giving the participants inspiration for further research.
