What we're doing that's different is we've taken a genetic approach to understand fertility.

If you get infertility, then you know that the molecule is required for fertility, and this is our 'smoking gun.' Basically, we are asking the animal to tell us what it requires for its fertility, and then we try to understand how it works on a molecular level.

What we learn in studying fertilization is not only important for this event, but also for the functioning of other cells in our bodies and for understanding many of those processes.

Fertilization is a very basic cell interaction, a very important medical, economic and social interaction. And it's also a paradigm of how other cells interact, because every cell in our body is near or in close contact with other cells. And when those interactions break down you can get cancer and other diseases. So identifying these molecules could give us a better idea of the lock and key necessary for everyday functioning, not only in terms of preventing infertility but also for preventing disease.

Ultimately worms have the same issues as we do for getting their sperm and egg together, and hopefully that will be useful for improving our understanding of human infertility, giving us different insights into reproductive strategies that nature uses to get the sperm and egg together.

(H)e has been asking for my help in his many cases. I tried to help him within my limits and bounds of the law.