Use of parthenogenetic embryos or trophoblastic vesicles to improve dairy-cow fertility following artificial insemination

全球对乳制品的需求继续增长(加上人均消费量增加20%，人口到2050年增加到90亿)，必须以高效和环境可持续的方式满足这一需求。除了人工授精外，该项目还将通过使用滋养细胞囊泡(只包含支持胎盘发育的细胞的胚胎)或孤雌胚胎(只包含雌性染色体的不能存活的胚胎)来支持哺乳期奶牛的早孕。提高奶牛在哺乳早期的繁殖力将提高饲料转化效率，并减少因不孕而从牛群中剔除的奶牛数量。这使得奶牛在牛群中停留的时间更长，从而改善了动物福利，增加了终身产量，同时减少了所需的总数量。总体牛群规模的减少将减少英国奶牛群温室气体排放对环境的影响。

The global demand for dairy products continues to grow (combination of increased per capita consumption by 20%, and an increase in population to 9 billion by 2050, FAO), and this demand must be met in an efficient and environmentally sustainable manner. This project will support early pregnancy establishment in lactating dairy cows by the use of either trophoblastic vesicles (embryos containing only the cells which support placental development), or parthenogenetic embryos (non-viable embryos containing only female chromosomes) in addition to artificial insemination. Improving dairy cow fertility in early lactation will increase feed conversion efficiency, and reduce the numbers removed from the herd due to infertility. This allows cows to remain in the herd for longer, thereby improving animal welfare and increasing lifetime production, whilst reducing overall numbers required. The reduction in overall herd size will reduce the environmental impact arising from greenhouse-gas emissions from the UK dairy herd.