Pig IVF and genetics: a route to global sustainability

Pig IVF and genetics: a route to global sustainability”, will be undertaken in conjunction with Kent University’s School of Biosciences and The Bridge Centre, a leading IVF clinic. Involving the transport of IVF embryos, the project will be of particular interest to international customers.
“Currently, sending genetics in the form of live animals to international customers can be complex and costly,” explains Stephen. “Each animal has to be individually tested at around £250 per animal, vaccinated, and travels in more spacious accommodation than most humans.”
By comparison, the transport of IVF embryos would involve a fraction of this cost and the environmental impact would be far less. Embryos suspended in a flask require just one test, can be ‘disease washed’ as required for their destination and can travel as luggage on a normal commuter flight.
“Working with the Bridge Fertility Centre and Dr Kate Fowler of the University of Kent, who we also sponsored as a PhD student, is an excellent example of the synergy these relationships create,” says Stephen. “At present, different people have managed to do different parts of the process but no one yet has managed to pull the whole process together. We think that there will be gains all round for both human and animal fertility. For JSR customers, it will provide worldwide access to the full range of JSR genetics in a more convenient and cost-effective way with substantial savings being passed down the supply chain.”