How would you like to be able to guarantee your livestock will have the best production traits possible? This can happen with the help of a team of researchers consisting of veterinarians, professors and post-graduate trainees from Oklahoma State University.

OSU is currently conducting research on in-vitro fertilization. This technique involves taking an ovicyte from a cow and fertilizing it with sperm in a laboratory. After fertilization, the embryo is either frozen or transplanted into another living cow.
 
 

This research is relatively new to OSU. Although research began more than a year ago, most research has been completed in the last six months. In October 1998, the first embryos were produced. The first transfer into the recipient cow took place the next month.

Currently, OSU has its first cow carrying a calf as a result of in-vitro fertilization. This research will benefit livestock production in many ways. Embryo screening will assist producers in determining a calf's gender, and research in animal genetics will help determine whether the embryo carries the genes in which the producer may be interested.

Gregor Morgan, doctor of veterinary medicine, said this type of research is important in Oklahoma.

"Given the importance of cattle in this state, it is important we keep up on new technologies in animal production," Morgan said. "We can't let the rest of the world get ahead of us."

Jerry Malayer, professor at the OSU School of Veterinary Medicine, said students and alumni should be interested in this topic, especially if they are involved in the cattle business.

"Many of our students are coming from a cattle business, and their parents are paying for them to be here to aid in the research effort," Malayer said. "This also increases our research potential and keeps the faculty up to date in the different areas. If students are interested in participating directly in research it will enhance their experience at OSU." 

In-vitro fertilization research will affect producers, as they will be able to select desired traits at the embryo stage. Morgan said from a genetic selection standpoint, this research will make a huge impact. 

"Improvement in animal production comes through genetic selection, and right now traditional means of identifying animal traits takes a long time," Morgan said. "In the future we will be able to identify what genes control many of the production traits in our domestic livestock."

"The whole future of cattle is going to the molecular level," he said. 

Cattle are not the only species that can benefit from in-vitro fertilization. Steps are being taken to include sheep, swine and even dogs into this research.

"The other specie we've had a lot of people ask about, believe it or not, is the dog," Morgan said. "We also have some people on staff who are world-renowned swine researchers. I don't think it would take that much for us to move into swine, but we're going to concentrate on cattle first."

The first in-vitro fertilization calf to be born at OSU is due in June at the OSU dairy barn. Researchers said they are not sure what the coloring of the calf will be.

"The egg came from a slaughter cow in Wichita, Kan., and the semen from Reproductive Enterprises in Stillwater," Morgan said. "Nonetheless, it's going to be a big day."

By Laura Burch

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