Sergey Moskovtsev

Research Synopsis

My research interests include unexplained male infertility, genetics and epigenetics of male infertility and male fertility biomarkers that could provide better understanding of paternal contribution to embryo development as well as selection of spermatozoa to improve pregnancy outcomes in both natural conceptions and assisted reproduction.

My research has established association between sperm DNA damage and age (PMID: 16595239), disruption of normal telomere interaction (PMID: 20883122) and normal sperm chromosome architecture using 3D approach (PMID: 23445178) and protein research on human samples (PMID: 17434498, 23445178, 24970390).

This vast experience has given me the opportunity to foster extensive research collaborations with several medical institutions including CIHR grants with Dr. Kimmins, McGill University to work on epigenome analysis of spermatozoa and to identify mechanisms underlying dietary influences on transgenerational inheritance (PMID: 31393794).

In addition, my collaboration with Dr. Krawetz, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University involves research of paternal RNAs that are requisite for normal embryo development leading to several publications including:

• “Absence of sperm RNA elements correlates with idiopathic male infertility" (Sci Transl Med, PMID: 26157032)
• “Chromatin and extracellular vesicle associated sperm RNAs” (Nucleic Acids Res. PMID: 26071953) 
• “What human sperm RNA-Seq tells us about the microbiome.” (J Assist Reprod Genet. PMID: 31902104)

Moreover, I am working closely with Dr. Sun, University of Toronto to develop an automated method to reliably capture spermatozoa and identify genetically normal spermatozoa suitable for fertility treatment using robotic and artificial intelligent approaches (PMID: 29993453; 2999357).

Recent Publications

Swanson G.M., Moskovtsev S., Librach C., Pilsner J.R., Goodrich R., Krawetz S.A. What human sperm RNA-Seq tells us about the microbiome. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2020;37(2):359-368.

Chan D., Shao X., Dumargne M.C., Aarabi M., Simon M.M., Kwan T., Bailey J.L., Robaire B., Kimmins S., San Gabriel M.C., Zini A., Librach C., Moskovtsev S., Grundberg E., Bourque G., Pastinen T., Trasler J.M. Customized MethylC-Capture Sequencing to Evaluate Variation in the Human Sperm DNA Methylome Representative of Altered Folate Metabolism. Environ Health Perspect. 2019 Aug;127(8):1-18.

Johnson G.D., Mackie P., Jodar M., Moskovtsev S., Krawetz S.A. Chromatin and extracellular vesicle associated sperm RNAs. Nucleic Acids Research. 2015 18;43:6847-59. Co-Author.