Slovak Women Scientists Broke a Taboo: They Uncovered the Hidden Secrets of Embryos and Won a Prestigious Award!

Three exceptional Slovak women — Prof. Mária Mareková, Prof. Miroslava Rabajdová, and Assoc. Prof. Silvia Toporcerová — are pushing the boundaries of reproductive medicine in a way that sounds like science fiction. Their research can “read” an embryo even before it is transferred to the uterus, and it may significantly increase the success rate of assisted reproduction.

It was precisely this discovery that earned the outstanding team at the Science and Technology Award 2025. In an interview for Madam EVA, they explain why even the most advanced technology can’t replace humanity, patience, and women’s courage.

The in vitro fertilization (IVF) process is becoming increasingly sophisticated and better understood—thanks in part to our women and men scientists.

Your research focuses on identifying biomarkers of embryo quality that have the potential to increase the success rate of assisted reproduction. How could we translate that into plain, easy-to-understand language? 🙂

In general, biomarkers are defined as specific substances (e.g., enzymes, hormones) that are used as indicators of the body’s condition, and thus provide information about a person’s health. There is a wide range of substances used in medicine to assess an individual’s health status; nevertheless, we are still looking for new ones that can provide information about changes in health as early as possible—ideally even before the disease itself becomes clinically apparent. Standard procedures are used to assess embryo quality; we sought to make use of information contained in the culture medium in which the embryo develops. Put very simply, we were trying to better “read the embryo’s biological profile” before doctors—reproductive specialists—place it into the uterus.
Today, embryologists mainly assess what the embryo looks like on real-time camera imaging—how it divides and develops to its final stage. We added a completely new source of information: small non-coding RNA molecules that the embryo “releases” into the culture medium in which it grows for several days. These small non-coding RNAs provide additional insights, thereby increasing the embryo’s chances of successful implantation. Based on these findings, an international patent application was created: “Non-invasive successfulness test of in vitro fertilization process”—a non-invasive test to predict IVF success. The patent protects a combination of specific molecules and a method for using them to predict which embryo should be prioritized. Since the patent claims were sold to a private investor, the investor is now continuing to further develop the solution.

Our reproductive, interdisciplinary team—made up of physicians, reproductive specialists, biochemists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, and health psychologists—continues to focus on comprehensive research into reproductive health through molecular, biochemical, and psychosocial approaches. We study the receptivity of the uterine lining and the processes by which it can be influenced, with the aim of increasing the success of infertility treatment. We also use artificial intelligence tools not only to process vast amounts of medical and laboratory data, but also to improve health literacy.

Team members of Prof. Ing. Mária Mareková, CSc.: Prof. RNDr. Miroslava Rabajdová, PhD., and Assoc. Prof. MUDr. Silvia Toporcerová, PhD.

Did anything surprise you during those more than 20 years of researching how to increase IVF success?

When I look back on the last twenty years of using assisted reproduction methods—where an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the woman’s body (IVF, in vitro fertilization)—what surprises me most is how much our view of what actually determines success has changed.In the beginning, we relied mainly on what we could see under the microscope—a morphologically “nice-looking” embryo had a higher chance of “winning” the race to be transferred into the uterus. Today we know that a beautiful embryo does not necessarily have to be healthy, and that its true potential is hidden far beneath the surface. Over time, new technologies emerged that allowed us to literally monitor every minute of its division in the laboratory. These time-lapse monitoring systems showed that what matters is not only what the embryo looks like, but also how it behaves. Then genetics arrived and, for the first time, allowed us to look inside and say: this embryo has a chance; this one doesn’t. It was a major shift from estimation to real data. And along the way we realized something else, too: the embryo is not the only player. The uterus is not just a place where we “put it,” but an active organ that has to be ready at the right moment. Sometimes, that timing is what decides everything. If the endometrium doesn’t respond to the right signals, even the very best embryo won’t help. Everything around IVF has changed as well—culture conditions, cryopreservation, stimulation protocols. Today, many aspects are gentler, more patient-friendly, and more precise. The entire IVF process has shifted from “let’s try it” to “we understand what’s happening both in the body and in the lab.” And that is precisely why today we can help more effectively than we could twenty years ago.

Professor Mareková’s team at the Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice.

It still sounds exceptional and special—to be a woman in science. Do you see it as a privilege as well?

Today, it’s no longer such an exception or rarity as it was years ago—there are quite a lot of women in science now, and many fields are described as “over-feminized.” Since Marie Curie Skłodowska became the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in 1903, more than 65 women have been awarded this honor. For us, it’s a job like any other—something we enjoy, where every day can bring something new, interesting, and exciting. But given the topic we study, it is above all a responsibility, and only then a privilege. A responsibility because we work in an area that is fundamentally connected to women—their bodies, fertility, and the hope of becoming a mother. When you talk to patients after an unsuccessful IVF cycle, you see that it’s not only a medical issue, but also one that affects a fragile psyche, a relationship, and sometimes years of disappointment. That is also why we are glad that at the table, alongside male scientists, there are also women who can bring empathy and a different perspective.

They are pushing the boundaries of reproductive medicine and received the prestigious Science and Technology Award 2025.

The privilege is that we can be—hopefully—one of many female role models for young girls who love biochemistry and biology and often doubt themselves, even though they have no real reason to. Through awards such as L’Oréal–UNESCO “For Women in Science,” Slovak Woman of the Year, and others, we try to show society that women belong in science and that their contribution is visible. And finally, we are ordinary women—with families, responsibilities, fatigue, and doubts, too. We don’t want to create the image of a “superwoman” who manages everything. Rather, our message to readers is: if something truly interests you, you have not only the right, but almost a duty to pursue your dream—regardless of whether it’s science, entrepreneurship, art, or caring for a family. And if you choose science, we believe that the generation of women we belong to has made that path a little easier for you.