Estrus and Data Science: Implications to the Pre-implantation Endometrium Biology and Genomic Selection

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The major aim of my research program is to maximize the use of big data from precision sensor technologies and construct tools to unveil specific biological mechanisms in the endometrium of lactating dairy cows associated with estrus strength, and to propose strategies that enhance estrous expression, embryonic survival, and the genetic selection of dairy cows. In a series of recent studies using different automated activity monitoring systems, cows displaying estrus events of greater intensity had a 35% increase in fertility compared with estrus events of low intensity. The novel proposition is that detailed and accurate relative increase, duration and overall pattern of estrus display have only been possible on large number of cows in recent years with the adoption of sensor technologies in dairy farms. The use of peak intensity, duration, and other digital measurements could assist in the prediction of fertility and improve decision-making of reproductive programs used in the dairy industry. Moreover, there is true potential to use automated monitor systems as an objective digital tool to select animals of superior fertility, while improving phenotype collection precision. Data science tools and artificial intelligence have now the capability to explore large datasets coming from activity monitors in order to find more precise measurements associated with fertility and other key physiological events. To date, there is limited literature using estrous expression characteristics as phenotypes for genomic selection. The selection of genetic markers associated with digital characteristics of estrus could accelerate the selection of cows with superior fertility, decrease reliance on reproductive hormones in the dairy industry, and improve the data science capabilities to create digital phenotypes in precision dairy. In order to answer some of the mechanistic questions associated with estrous expression, we chose to study the endometrium during the pre-implantation stage, a period known for the high rates of embryonic loss. In previous studies by our group we found that transcripts affected by estrous detection in the endometrium belong to the immune system and adhesion molecule family (e.g. MX1, MX2, MYL12A, MMP19, CXCL10, IGLL1, SLPI, PTX3, IDO, MUC1, MUC4, SELL), as well as those related with prostaglandin synthesis (ERa, OTR and COX-2). The studies have shown a 2-fold increase in conceptus size at the filamentous stage coming from cows that displayed estrus. Our group has been particularly interested in those three biological functions, comprised of around 150 transcripts, as they have been consistently modified by estrus, and should be further investigated in depth using a more varied and sophisticated cellular and molecular biology techniques. No study to date, however, have been performed using detailed information of digital phenotypes related with the behavioural strength of estrus on mechanistic functions of the endometrium.