Mikkola Marja, Desmet Karolien Leen Jan, Kommisrud Elisabeth, Riegler Michael A
SpermVital AS, Hamar, Norway.
Geno SA, Hamar, Norway.
Anim Reprod. 2024 Aug 12;21(3):e20240031. doi: 10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0031. eCollection 2024.
Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are fundamental for cattle breeding and sustainable food production. Together with genomic selection, these technologies contribute to reducing the generation interval and accelerating genetic progress. In this paper, we discuss advancements in technologies used in the fertility evaluation of breeding animals, and the collection, processing, and preservation of the gametes. It is of utmost importance for the breeding industry to select dams and sires of the next generation as young as possible, as is the efficient and timely collection of gametes. There is a need for reliable and easily applicable methods to evaluate sexual maturity and fertility. Although gametes processing and preservation have been improved in recent decades, challenges are still encountered. The targeted use of sexed semen and beef semen has obliterated the production of surplus replacement heifers and bull calves from dairy breeds, markedly improving animal welfare and ethical considerations in production practices. Parallel with new technologies, many well-established technologies remain relevant, although with evolving applications. production (IVP) has become the predominant method of embryo production. Although fundamental improvements in IVP procedures have been established, the quality of IVP embryos remains inferior to their counterparts. Improvements to facilitate oocyte maturation and development of new culture systems, e.g. microfluidics, are presented in this paper. New non-invasive and objective tools are needed to select embryos for transfer. Cryopreservation of semen and embryos plays a pivotal role in the distribution of genetics, and we discuss the challenges and opportunities in this field. Finally, machine learning (ML) is gaining ground in agriculture and ART. This paper delves into the utilization of emerging technologies in ART, along with the current status, key challenges, and future prospects of ML in both research and practical applications within ART.
辅助生殖技术（ART）是牛育种和可持续粮食生产的基础。这些技术与基因组选择一起，有助于缩短世代间隔并加速遗传进展。在本文中，我们讨论了用于繁殖动物生育力评估以及配子采集、处理和保存的技术进展。对于育种行业来说，尽早选择下一代的母畜和公畜至关重要，高效及时地采集配子也是如此。需要可靠且易于应用的方法来评估性成熟和生育力。尽管近几十年来配子处理和保存技术有所改进，但仍面临挑战。有针对性地使用性别分选精液和牛肉精液消除了奶牛品种多余的后备小母牛和公牛犊的生产，显著改善了生产实践中的动物福利和伦理考量。与新技术并行的是，许多成熟的技术仍然相关，尽管应用在不断演变。体外生产（IVP）已成为胚胎生产的主要方法。尽管IVP程序已取得根本性改进，但IVP胚胎的质量仍低于其同类胚胎。本文介绍了促进卵母细胞成熟和开发新培养系统（如微流控技术）的改进方法。需要新的非侵入性和客观工具来选择用于移植的胚胎。精液和胚胎的冷冻保存在遗传物质的分配中起着关键作用，我们讨论了该领域的挑战和机遇。最后，机器学习（ML）在农业和ART中越来越受关注。本文深入探讨了ART中新兴技术的应用，以及ML在ART研究和实际应用中的现状、关键挑战和未来前景。
