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Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

Integrating research and outreach education from UMass Amherst

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Christina Eckenreiter

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Christina Eckenreiter
Project Title: Bovine Sperm Ca2+ Signaling and Energy Pathways in Basic Science and Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
Program Year: 2022
Major: Animal Science
Supervisor: Pablo Visconti

This past summer my project was focused on the study of bovine sperm function and how it can be used to improve assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and ultimately benefit animal production. We propose the development and study of novel sperm treatments for cattle in vitro production: transient application of Ca2+ ionophore to sperm (A23187 pulse), and the use of Sperm Energy restriction and Recovery (SER). Both of these treatments have shown significant increase in fertilization rates as well as the number of eggs that reach the blastocyst stage. Currently, the cattle industry sees about 70% fertilization success with the use of in vitro fertilization, with about 50% of those eggs reaching blastocyst stage. My project’s goal is to improve sperm function, fertilization and post-fertilization events, and increase the efficiency of embryo production in both number and/or quality of embryos able to generate healthy offspring in the cattle industry which would have an enormous impact on a global scale.

Research

  • Mass Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Information About Accessing Research Funds
  • Research Projects
  • NIFA Integrated Research and Outreach Initiatives
  • Civil Rights Information & Resources
  • Summer Scholars Program
  • REEU Internship Program

Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

 

Stockbridge Hall,
80 Campus Center Way
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003-9246
Phone: (413) 545-4800
Fax: (413) 545-6555
ag [at] cns [dot] umass [dot] edu (ag[at]cns[dot]umass[dot]edu)

 

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Disaster Preparedness

Food Safety

Home Lawn & Garden

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Land Conservation Tools

Pollinators

Tick testing

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Extension Programs

4-H Youth Development

Agriculture

Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine

Fruit

Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture

Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry

Pesticide Education

Turf

Vegetable

Clean Energy

Climate Change

Food Science

Nutrition Education

Value-Added Food

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