THE CHALLENGE
Fertility is a critical factor in livestock breeding, directly impacting the productivity and economic viability of beef and dairy operations. Each year, more than 750,000 beef heifers and 210,000 dairy heifers fail to produce calves despite multiple breeding attempts using artificial insemination or bull exposure. These sub-fertile or infertile heifers impose significant costs related to raising, land usage, and management without delivering the expected reproductive outcomes. Ensuring high fertility rates in heifers is essential for maintaining efficient herd replacement strategies, optimizing resource utilization, and sustaining overall farm profitability. Current methods for assessing heifer fertility are often limited in their accuracy and comprehensiveness, relying on traditional indicators such as hormonal levels or physical examinations that may be invasive and time-consuming. These approaches typically do not integrate diverse biological data, resulting in incomplete evaluations of an animal's reproductive potential. Consequently, infertility rates remain high, affecting approximately 5-15% of heifers and leading to substantial financial losses and inefficiencies in breeding programs. The lack of robust, multi-faceted assessment tools hinders the ability to accurately identify and manage sub-fertile animals, perpetuating economic challenges within the livestock industry.
OUR SOLUTION
The technology provides a comprehensive molecular approach to assess fertility in female mammals, particularly heifers, by integrating multiple biomarkers across genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels. It analyzes specific genetic markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphism in the EML6 gene, transcript abundance of APMAP and DNAI7 in circulating blood cells, and protein levels of FTO in the plasma to determine fertility status. Utilizing advanced techniques like high throughput genotyping, RNA sequencing, and mass spectrometry, the method accurately classifies females as fertile or subfertile. The system is versatile and may apply to various mammalian species at different life stages, and is supported by specialized kits for biomarker detection, sample collection, and processing. This technology is differentiated by its multi-omics integration, which provides a more precise and holistic assessment of fertility compared to traditional methods. The combination of genetic, transcriptional, and protein-level data allows for accurate classification of fertility status, reducing economic losses in livestock breeding. Validated through extensive experimental studies with high accuracy, the method offers significant commercial potential and is ready for implementation with partnerships involving major animal health companies. Its ability to offer detailed insights into embryo development further distinguishes it as a groundbreaking advancement in fertility assessment.
Advantages:
- Reduces economic losses by accurately identifying subfertile or infertile heifers early
- Enhances breeding efficiency through reliable molecular fertility assessment
- Increases accuracy and reliability with a multi-omics approach integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic biomarkers
- Applicable to a wide range of mammalian species, expanding commercial potential
- Facilitates easy implementation with available kits for biomarker detection and sample processing
Potential Application:
- Livestock fertility screening
- Genetic selection for breeding
- Veterinary reproductive diagnostics
- Fertility biomarker kits
