Engineering Tomorrow's Cow

Embryo Sexing, Splitting and Gene Insertion

Abstract

Artificial insemination (A. I.) is an example of the greatest single biotechnology applied to livestock, particularly dairy cattle. This opened the field of sperm physiology and the study of fertilization and embryo mortality, as well as the control of certain infectious diseases. A study has demonstrated that embryos can be sexed with about 80 to 85% accuracy, using a male-specific antibody which was conjugated with the green fluorescent dye, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). In some of the earlier work about half of the embryos bisected as blastocysts produced pregnancies. The possibility of immediately modifying the gene complex of an animal by inserting genetic material into recipients has stimulated much excitement.