Charles Thibault

Charles Thibault was renowned for his pioneering research on the maturation of the egg and its fertilization. In this regard he had a major role in characterizing the control of meiosis in the egg and providing the first cytological descriptions of fertilization events leading up to the first cleavage. His work progressed from these studies to in vitro fertilization and the conditions for culturing eggs, the study of sperm capacitation and gamete ageing in a number of different species. The results of his work improved our understanding of embryonic mortality differences among species, elevating conception rates and factors involved in the successful use of in vitro fertilisation. Throughout his career he has been recognised for his leadership in reproductive biology.

Charles Thibault Winner of Wolf Prize in Agriculture - 1988