Create cow embryos from sperm injection into eggs

On May 22, a group of scientists in the field of animal biotechnology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences, created 3 in vitro dairy embryos by micro injection method.

Scientists injected frozen sperm directly into fresh egg cytoplasm (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injaction - ICSI). Within the past month, the team created three dairy cows. These three embryos will be frozen or transfected to recipients.

The team took the source of the Hostein dairy cow sperm from the Institute of Technology Transfer. And eggs are obtained from slaughtered cows in slaughterhouses. Eggs are sucked from ovaries and grown up before using for micro-injections.

In the past, with in vitro fertilization, sperm and eggs were mixed together, then sperm entered into the egg itself. Eggs develop into zygotes and embryos. However, the limitation of this method is that if the sperm is too weak, unable to move, fertilization is difficult to succeed.

The research team at Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences is injecting sperm into directly oocytes.(Photo: H.Cat)

The ICSI method requires less sperm than in vitro fertilization, and sperm may not need to be moved. The result of present embryo production from ICSI method is 80%. In the future, the team will continue to standardize microinjection procedures, which can be used in fertilization between frozen sperms and frozen eggs. In addition to cattle, the group also applied this method in pigs.

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