Elvan Boke

Research and Interests

Dr. Boke is interested in the remarkable ability of oocytes to survive for long periods of time, up to 50 years in humans, and to retain the ability to give rise to a young organism while other cells age and die. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of how oocytes employ to remain viable. In particular, Dr. Boke studies the so-called Balbiani body, which is a stable non-membrane bound compartment in dormant oocytes that contains most of the organelles and disperses upon oocyte activation. She aims to elucidate the structure and function of Balbiani bodies in dormant oocytes, the metabolic nature of the organelles inside the Balbiani bodies and how Balbiani bodies disassemble and release the complement of organelles when oocytes start to mature. Next to gaining more fundamental knowledge in development processes, her research has implications for the field of fertility biology and aging.