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The increase in global food needs and measures to safeguard animal welfare have required adaptation by the animal production sector. In this context, the implementation of a non-invasive and cheaper semen sexing technology would bring immense benefits. Currently, flow cytometry is the most accepted sexing technique. However, only bovine semen is sold and it costs 2 to 8 times more than conventional semen. Rabbit production would also benefit from sexing technologies, allowing the selection of X sperm for systems focused on the commercialization of breeding females or hybrid production. In recent years, potential candidates for the development of a highly efficient sexing technique have been studied. However, these hypotheses are not optimized or are still expensive. Thus, this exploratory project is an integral part of a globally useful project that is characterizing the protein profile of rabbit and bovine sperm, aiming at the development of an innovative and non-invasive technique for sexing rabbit and bovine semen, through marking membrane proteins specific to X or Y sperm. If there are differences between the genomic DNA of X and Y sperm, then there may be differential gene expression and, as such, molecular differences with regard to membrane proteins. The innovation of this project will be to identify the most promising target, specific to X or Y sperm, and attach its antibody to magnetic beads. This will allow the defined target to be recognized and, as such, the X and Y sperm to be separated using a magnet.
Reference: EXPL/CVT-CVT/1112/2021
Total funding: 49,772.31€
Funding for CECAV/UTAD: 49,772.31€
Leading institution: CECAV/UTAD
Partners: Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (CHTMAD).
Project leader: Bruno Colaço
