Improving Embryos in vitro

This Creative Inquiry team, works with bovine embryos to enhance IVF procedures. First they investigated the effects of different growth media on developmental rates of the embryos. They also assessed the impact of photo biomodulation, the exposure to different wavelengths of light, on developmental rate. For this procedure the students exposed the embryos to LED red light for ten minutes at 21 hours post insemination. The effect on developmental rate was determined by looking at the blastocyst rates—the appearance of dividing cell clusters that lead to a pregnancy—in the embryos exposed to the light treatment. The team found that blastocyst rate was not affected by photo biomodulation.

The Creative Inquiry team presented their research at the Annual International Embryo Technology Society Conference in Denver were they were runner up in the undergraduate student poster competition. They also attended presentations and networking events with industry professionals—invaluable opportunities that will benefit their future careers and educational pursuits.

“Gaining all the experience through this lab will definitely give me a leg up in the master’s program,” Carolina Elgaressta, a junior genetics major, said.

Looking ahead, the team plans to repeat their previous photo biomodulation experiments at different time intervals after insemination. They hope to determine if the effects of the light will enhance the embryo development at specific times. This research holds potential for significant impacts on in vitro fertilization in bovines, and may pave the way for breakthroughs in human reproductive technologies.