OPTIMIZATION OF A UNIQUE FREEZING SYSTEM FOR BOAR SPERM

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: SMALL BUSINESS GRANT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1016523
• Grant No.: 2018-33610-28581
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $600,000.00
• Proposal No.: 2018-03167
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2018
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2021
• Grant Year: 2018
• Program Code: [8.3]- Animal Production & Protection

Recipient Organization
MEMBRANE PROTECTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
6363 E COUNTY ROAD 56
FORT COLLINS,CO 805249319

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
The ability to freeze boar semen provides several advantages including disease reduction, more rapid genetic transfer, genetic banking, and more precise correlation with optimum female fertility. Although freezing is routine technology in many livestock species, it is not so in teh swine industry. Unfortunately, in boars, sperm quality inconsistencies and poor fertility make this technology commercially uneconomical today because it results in smaller litter sizes and decreased farrowing (birthing) rates.Freezing boar sperm is substantially different than other agricultural species requiring transportation, freezing, thawing an ddilution. Based on MPTI's phase I data, the transportation step has a substantial impact on the finished product. MPTI's product GameteGuard forms the basis for a freezing system that together can be used to optimize post-thaw sperm health. In Phase I the technology resulted in a 25% incrase in sperm health with only a new freezing medium. In phase II, MPTI will execute multiple breeding trials interspaced within development of shipping and thawing medium to complete the creation of a full freezing system for boar sperm.This technology could save pork producers >$6mm annually over the existing frozen technology, and commercial interest is evident in teh collaboration agreement for commercialization that MPTI has formed with a large pork producer. GamteGuard freezing system will impart a competative advantage to the U.S. pork industry. Improving fertility will help enable food production for a burgeoning world population and meets USDA's REE-Action plan objective 1.

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

0%

Applied

50%

Developmental

50%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
301	3510	1081	100%

Knowledge Area
301 - Reproductive Performance of Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3510 - Swine, live animal;

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding;

Keywords

antioxidant

boar

reproduction

sow

Goals / Objectives
Freezing boar sperm requires a number of different media and protocols. The overall objectives of this project (phases I through 3) are to develop a full system for freezing sperm which requres: 1)Shipping medium,2) Freezing protocol and medium (phase I), 3)Thawing time, temperature & medium and 4)Insemination methodology & associated standard operating procedures. And therefore the overall goals and objectives of Phase II are to develop a fully integrated system, demonstrate an improvement in litter size and quantify improvements on maternal and terminal boar lines (both of which are commercially important). and create a commercially important system and method for freezing boar sperm.

Project Methods
This project will use a series of small breeding trials interspaced with development of shipping and thwing medium to complete the creation of a full freezing system for boar sperm. Seven different factors will be assessed within each media. Media improvment will be compared to control which is commercially available media. All of this will be capped by a large breeding trial using 8 to 10 boars and 100 matings/boar/treatment to assess pregnancy, farrowing rate, litter size, and the like.

Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this grant are integrated pork producers who have nucleus herds wherein a freezing technology would be useful. The partner in this grant is such a business and was the primary target for the grant. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We trained several interns during the course of this grant, and also did out-reach to the Colorado Pork Producers. And finally we shared our work at the International Boar Sperm Preservation Meeting in 2019. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?See above. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A freezing system was developed that resulted in 1 extra piglet/litter per sow in two separate breeding trials This is a significant economic improvement over existing technology. This is the proof of the developed system for freezing boar.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Shepherd, M., Baker, B., Minton, A., & Herickhoff, L. A. (2019). GameteGuard� improves boar post-thaw sperm health. Theriogenology, 137, 129.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Gonzalez-Castro, R. A., Sharf, A. M., Minton, A., & Herinkhoff, L. A. (2019). Effect of extender, cryoprotectants and GameteGuard� on the post-thaw motility in boar sperm. Theriogenology, 137, 129-130.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Gonzalez-Castro, R., & Herickhoff, L. (2020). Flow cytometric viability and acrosome integrity assessment in cooled boar sperm using SYBR14 or Hoechst-33342. Animal Reproduction Science, 220, 106398.

Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Assuming the sow farms recover, and open from COVID-related closures, then we will proceed with the breeding trials.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Because of COVID, the major breeding trial could not be started so until the sow farms open again, we cannot execute the final steps of this project.

Publications

Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:We are collaborating with a pork producer and therefore our target audience is directly reached by this project. In addition during the reporting period, we met with university swine experts who will also be impacted by this technology. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A post-doctoral scholar and some masters degreed people are working on this projet and are being mentored by the PI's. They are gaining experience both in commercial swine production as well as in unique laboratory procedures. In addition, collaboration with University of Nebraska, Lincoln provides further professional development opportunities for all working on the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our direct collaborator is with a producer. We are disseminating data to them as its generated. We will be participating in the Boar Sperm Preservation meeting in August of 2019 to share information, What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Research will continue and will allow progression into the 2nd breeding trial early this next reporting period.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Shipping media formulation was completed, a freezing medium was completed, thawing time and temperature have been explored. We are currently examining insemination methodology. The first breeding trial was completed with an average pregnancy per artificial inseminationof 55%.

Publications