Culture Media Improves Embryo Survival

Opportunity

Drs. Allan King and Faz Ashkar at the University of Guelph have created a better method to culture embryos, with or without cryopreservation.  This method and media which is supplemented with thyroid hormone significantly improves the viability, quality and survival of bovine embryos1, 2.  The use of advanced reproductive technologies like embryo transfer and freezing is becoming the standard practice in both agriculture and human health sciences. Consequently, maximizing embryo quality and production yields are still important and even minor process improvements have significant benefits to the economics of the use of embryo transfer.

Advantages

  • Increased survival of embryos 
  • Improved quality of embryos
  • Increased yield and profitability
  • Increased growth rates   
  • Decreased apoptosis

Fresh Embryos vs Frozen-Thawed Embryos

Applications

  • Bovine embryo transfer services
  • Human fertility clinics
  • Advanced reproductive research
  • Wildlife preservation research

Patent Status

US 8,492,080

License Status

Seeking licensee.

Contact

David Hobson, dhobson@uoguelph.ca +1-519-824-4120 x58859

References

1 Ashkar et al. Human Reproduction, Vol.25, No.2 pp. 334–344, 2010.
2 Costa et al. Theriogenology, Vol 80, No4 pp295-301, 2013.