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Reproductive biology
Commercial work, as well as research and development, is focussed on enhancing livestock production via use of in vitro embryo culture methodology, embryo manipulation and animal reproductive technologies in both sheep and cattle. Transgenic and cloning techniques are also in-house capabilities. Outcomes/services provided by the reproduction technologies group at Turretfield include:
- The development to commercial application of the techniques of juvenile in vitro embryo transfer (JIVET) and mature in vitro embryo transfer (MIVET). Both techniques are offered on a commercial basis through the veterinary industry.
- Control of oocyte development and embryo quality is the key area of focus for research effort into JIVET and MIVET.
- A recent achievement has been the development of an embryo freezing technique that allows embryos to be frozen without a significant loss of viability.
- Media required for in vitro culture of embryos and for embryo transfer is commercially available from our laboratory.
- Techniques of transgenesis and cloning are provided in a research and development capacity. Our laboratory has recently produced sheep expressing the gene for Huntington’s Disease (HD) using transgenesis (a project led by Dr Simon Bawden of the molecular group). The number of HD animals will be increased using current reproductive technologies. The reproduction group was responsible for the production of the first transgenic wool and the first cloned sheep in Australia.
- Artificial insemination (including semen collection and testing), oocyte/embryo manipulation (including ICSI, embryo splitting and transfer) and ultrasonography are techniques available for research and development programs.
- Scientifically, the group is best recognized for the identification of the large offspring phenomenon that results from epigenetic modification of the early embryo.
- Investigation of the effects of nutrition during the peri-conception period on offspring phenotype is a continuing area of study
- Training of veterinarians and embryologists and student courses in various reproductive technologies are provided.
