We examined the tiny structures called extracellular vesicles that come from the fluid in pig uterus in order to understand how these vesicles change during the reproductive cycle of female pigs. Those from the late stages of the cycle seemed to have a strong connection with sperm and a possible key role in fertility. These vesicles regulate sperm function and interaction with oocytes, and they could potentially be used in fertility treatments to improve the chances of successful fertilisation. Photograph by SM Toledo-Guardiola.

This article belongs to the Collection Dedication to Jim Cummins.

Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) plot for the categorical variables of season of semen collection and age class of 262 individual bulls. Points represent the score of each bull for the quantitative variables (percentage of sperm with intact plasma membrane and acrosome and percentage of sperm with high DNA fragmentation index (immediately after thawing and after 3 h of incubation at 38°C) in different seasons of the year. Photograph by Eleni Malama.

This article belongs to the Collection Dedication to Jim Cummins.