What are the benefits of animal IVP?
Recent data collected by the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS) has shown the global shift in popularity and usage from traditional methods in favour of novel, in vitro technologies to produce embryos.
More and more laboratories are making the switch to in vitro production (IVP) and it is easy to see why. Some of the key benefits of IVP as a reproductive tool are:
Overcome physiological problems
Click to learn moreOvercome physiological problems
IVF can be used to produce offspring from elite animals that are non-productive in traditional methods. The reasons could be abnormal or damaged reproductive tracts, poor response to stimulation or idiopathic reasons.
Preserve valuable genetics
Click to learn morePreserve valuable genetics
Genetically elite animals can be repeatedly used as egg donors and the embryos produced transferred into less valuable animals, producing offspring with favourable genetics. In the case of the unexpected death / slaughter of a valuable animal, eggs can be rescued from the ovaries and the resultant embryos can be transferred into recipients.
Shorter generational interval
Click to learn moreShorter generational interval
Typically, donor oocytes can be aspirated on a two-week cycle whereas most embryo transfer (ET) programmes operate on a 60 day cycle. This allows for increased propagation of premium livestock.
Wider variety of donors
Click to learn moreWider variety of donors
Eggs can be aspirated from a wide variety of donors, such as pre-pubertal and juvenile heifers and transferred to recipients. Pregnant animals (up to 100 days gestation) can also be used as donors with excellent success rates and without any harm to the developing calf.
Reduced cost of semen
Click to learn moreReduced cost of semen
As fertilisation takes place in a microscopic environment, significantly less semen is needed to fertilise the same number of eggs. This is highly beneficial when a rare, expensive and / or sexed semen sample is used.
Less hormone reliance
Click to learn moreLess hormone reliance
Growing evidence supports moving away from administering expensive super-ovulatory drugs, as maturation can successfully be performed in vitro. Therefore, donor animals are not exposed to any potentially harmful side effects due to these hormones.
How achievable is animal IVP?
Outsourcing IVP to larger companies has been the default option in the past, but advances in the market have made in-house IVP an increasingly workable and affordable solution. The commercial availability of our media for animal IVF also means that you can save up to $15,000 on the initial start-up cost of your IVF lab1.
Based upon our recommended media consumptions, the cost of media per embryo is in the region of $10-15. With our extensive quality control tests, industry leading shelf lives and dedicated product support; we work with you every step of the way to maximise your profitability and accelerate your herd’s genetics.
Establishing an animal IVF laboratory is easier than you might think, especially if you already have embryo transfer facilities, equipment and experience. A typical start-up animal IVF laboratory will need:
- Laminar flow hood
- Incubators
- Centrifuge
- Stereomicroscope
- Refrigerator
We can provide you with expert recommendations on suitable lab equipment, consumables and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Alongside our comprehensive set of protocols, we offer worksheets for recording key information in the lab. We also recommend that you watch our protocol videos to understand the IVF Bioscience process in greater detail.
1estimate based on accrued cost of media-manufacturing equipment (pH meter, osmometer, analytical scales etc.) as well as raw ingredients and consumables for the first year.
