Abstract This conference celebrates the 40th anniversary of AETE. Over the past 40 years, AETE has served as a forum for scientists, practitioners, and students working in assisted animal reproduction in livestock species. AETE conferences have reflected developments in the field, from basic to applied science, as well as regulatory changes in assisted animal reproduction practices. Europe has led the way in these developments for many years, progressing from artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and cryopreservation to semen sexing, in vitro production of embryos, cloning by nuclear transfer, genomic selection, and the rescue of highly endangered species. These significant contributions were made possible by the support of funding agencies, both at the national and European levels, promoting cooperation between scientists and practitioners. Assisted reproduction, and animal breeding more generally, face opposition from various groups, including animal rights activists, vegetarians, proponents of organic farming, environmentalists, certain political parties, and increasing regulatory burdens. These challenges seriously affect funding for scientific research, the work of practitioners, and the breeding industry as a whole. It is crucial to invest time and resources in communication to remind the public, politicians, and regulators of the achievements in this field and the contributions made to the food supply chain and the care of the rural and natural environment. th 4 years practitioners species science practices insemination transfer sexing embryos selection agencies levels generally groups activists vegetarians farming environmentalists parties burdens research whole public politicians environment

Reproductive toxicity, with its many targets and mechanisms, is a complex area of toxicology; thus, the screening and identification of reproductive toxicants is a main scientific challenge for the safety assessment of chemicals, including the European Regulation on Chemicals (REACH). Regulatory agencies recommend the implementation of the 3Rs principle (refinement, reduction, replacement) as well as of intelligent testing strategies, through the development of in vitro methods and the use of mechanistic information in the hazard identification and characterization steps of the risk assessment process. The EU Integrated Project ReProTect (6th Framework Programme) implemented an array of in vitro tests to study different building blocks of the mammalian reproductive cycle: methodological developments and results on male and female germ cells, prostate and placenta are presented.

La tossicità riproduttiva, con i suoi bersagli e meccanismi di azione, è una branca complessa della tossicologia: lo screening e l'identificazione di sostanze tossiche per la riproduzione è una delle maggiori sfide scientifiche per la valutazione della sicurezza delle sostanze chimiche, previsto anche dal Regolamento Europeo REACH. Le autorità regolatorie raccomandano l'applicazione del principio delle 3R e lo sviluppo di strategie sperimentali razionali per mettere a punto metodi in vitro e l'uso, nell'ambito del processo di valutazione, di un approccio meccanicistico nell'identificazione e caratterizzazione del rischio. Il progetto europeo ReProTect ha sviluppato un insieme di saggi in vitro per studiare le diverse fasi del ciclo riproduttivo dei mammiferi: sviluppi metodologici e risultati ottenuti su spermatozoi, ovociti, prostata e placenta sono presentati in questa rassegna.