SBIR Phase I: Non-invasive method for bovine embryo viability assessment using near-infrared spectroscopy.

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目的重点是开发一种创新算法，用于使用近红外光谱（NIR）进行非侵入性牛胚胎活力评估。畜牧业已经开发了辅助生殖技术，以从遗传上优越的上级动物中获得大量后代。体外受精（IVF）和体细胞核移植（SCNT或克隆）产生的胚胎可以通过影响遗传改良率和上级基因型的有效传播在牛生产系统中发挥核心作用。这些技术的广泛实施受到无法使用当前主观视觉评估选择高质量胚胎的限制。一种定量胚胎选择方法的可用性能够区分健康的植入前胚胎与表现不佳的胚胎之间的细微差异，这将大大提高IVF和SCNT技术的整体效率。该项目的研究目标是：确定存活和非存活胚胎胚胎培养产生的废培养基的近红外光谱特征的差异;使用近红外光谱特征开发算法模型;并证明该算法可以提高胚胎选择的准确性，与目前的形态评估相比，妊娠率至少提高50%。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将是养牛者更多地利用体外生殖技术，这将对遗传改良和生殖管理产生巨大影响。目前，还没有一种定量评估牲畜胚胎的方法。如果成功，拟议的创新方法将使怀孕和产犊率比目前水平提高50%，并将SCNT小牛的成本降低7，500美元。降低成本可以大大提高技术利用率，潜在财务价值超过3.5亿美元。此外，仅在美国，每年的经济影响就可能超过1亿美元。成功的结果还将对牛群健康产生重大影响，并帮助畜牧业使用更少的受体生产更多的后代，这将减少对环境的压力，减少每单位气候排放和土地使用，并满足未来的全球营养需求。这些努力将有助于粮食安全，改善农村社区的社会和经济福祉。来自该项目的近红外光谱数据可能会带来新的发现，增强对早期胚胎发生的科学理解，并推动生殖技术的进一步进步。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is focused on developing an innovative algorithm for non-invasive bovine embryo viability assessment using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Assisted reproductive technologies have been developed by the livestock industry to obtain large numbers of offspring from genetically superior animals. Embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT or cloning) could play a central role in cattle production systems by impacting the rates of genetic improvement and efficient dissemination of superior genotypes. Broad-based implementation of these techniques is limited by the inability to select high quality embryos using current subjective visual assessment. The availability of a quantitative embryo selection method able to distinguish the subtle differences that separate a healthy pre-implantation embryo from a poorly performing one would greatly increase the overall efficiency of IVF and SCNT technologies. The research objectives of this project are: identify the differences in NIR spectral characteristics from spent media resulting from embryo culture of viable and non-viable embryos; develop an algorithmic model using the NIR spectral characteristics; and demonstrate that this algorithm can improve embryo selection accuracy, increasing pregnancy rate by at least 50% compared to the current morphological assessment. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project would be greater utilization of in vitro reproductive technologies by cattle breeders, which would have enormous impact on genetic improvement and reproductive management. Currently, a quantitative embryo assessment method in livestock is not available. If successful, the proposed innovative approach will increase pregnancy and calving rates by 50% compared to the present level and reduce the cost of a SCNT calf by $7,500. Reduced cost could substantially increase the technology utilization with a potential financial value of over $350 million. Additionally, the annual economic impact could exceed $100 million in dairy IVF in the U.S. alone. A successful result also will have a significant impact on herd health and help the livestock industry produce more offspring using fewer recipients, which will reduce pressure on the environment, decrease per unit climate emissions and land use, and meet future global nutritional needs. Such efforts will contribute to food security and improve the social and economic well-being of rural communities. The NIR spectral data from the project could lead to discoveries that enhance the scientific understanding of early embryogenesis and drive further progress in reproductive technology.