Performing Department
Animal Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Funds are available for six Fellowships and three IRTA toestablish a graduate program in reproductive biotechnology that educates a diverse group of MS students with the principles of animal reproduction and the technical competency required to excel in careers in animal production. Measurable objectives include a new concentration in reproductive biotechnology within existing graduate programs in Animal Sciences and Animal Molecular and Cell Biology, graduation of six MS Fellows, two from groups traditionally under-represented in agriculture, and an internship program. Features include the participation of 10 faculty, new courses providing experiential learning in reproductive biotechnology and a focus on interdisciplinary education involving reproduction, animal science, cell biology, genetics and biotechnology. Fellows will learn the experimental method through the development of a research program on a topic relevant to contemporary issues in reproductive biotechnology and applied reproduction. Fellows will gain experience of the practical application of reproductive biology by participation in an internship with a leading company involved in reproductive biotechnology or with a research team at Universidade de São Paulo that implements reproductive technology research programs on commercial farms. The measurable target, directly relevant to NNF program goals and USDA strategic goals, is the education of 6 MS-level scientists with the broad understanding, experience and enthusiasm needed to provide human capital for the continued prosperity of American agriculture. The development of a formal program in reproductive biotechnology will ensure that there will be a sustained pipeline for development of graduates in an important agricultural TESA.
Animal Health Component
10%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Reproduction is key to optimizing the efficiency of animal-sourced food production. Indeed, much of the feed energy required to produce a unit of edible product goes to the female that produces the offspring for meat rather than to the offspring itself. In beef cattle, over 50% of the energy to produce a kilogram of beef is consumed by the dam of the feeder animal. Cow fertility is also an important driver of profitability of dairy production systems. Each day that a cow eligible for breeding is not pregnant costs $2.25 . Reducing the period a cow is not pregnant by 15 days would result in annual saving of $317 million for the US dairy industry. Reproductive technologies have become an important adjunct to new genetic strategies that increase accuracy of genetic selection and reduce generation interval . Indeed, new reproductive techniques like embryo transfer, sex sorting of semen, in vitro production of embryos, somatic cell nuclear transfer, gene editing, stem cell technologies and in vitro breeding are rapidly transforming the landscape of livestock genetics .The increasing impact of applied animal reproduction is expanding the demand for animal reproduction scientists in academia and industry.The entwining of traditional applied reproductive physiology with emerging technologies of embryology, stem cell biology, and genetic engineering means that education of tomorrow's reproduction specialist must be grounded in the principles of animal science and reproductive physiology but also with understanding of cell biology, genetics, and biotechnology. To meet the growing need for scientists with this background, it is the goal to form a new graduate concentration at the University of Florida called the Reproductive Biotechnology Concentration (RBC) designed to produce a diverse group of MS graduates educated in principles of animal reproduction and with the technical competency required to obtain and excel in academic and industry positions in animal agriculture. Measurable goals include the formation of the new concentration in reproductive biotechnology within existing graduate programs in Animal Sciences and Animal Molecular and Cell Biology, graduation of six MS Fellows, including at least two students two from groups traditionally under-represented in agriculture, an internship program that allows students to get non-academic experience in a related industry, and formation of two new courses on animal reproduction.
Project Methods
The typical student recruited into the program will have a strong background in animal science and the biological sciences and has the track record to indicate 1) an interest in pursuing a career in academia or industry related to animal reproduction and 2) the intellectual tools and capacity to succeed in today's competitive scientific environment.A core value of the faculty is collaboration between laboratories, both within- and across disciplines. This feature of the program, in concert with the diversity of faculty and students in terms of research focus, geographical origin, and previous educational experiences, creates an environment where innovation and collaboration are central to the research activities of the program. Faculty in the seek to develop students who are integrationists that can combine concepts of physiology, genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry and animal management to develop cutting-edge approaches for improving animal production and health. This approach to science is cultivated through many avenues including formal course work, journal clubs, seminars and research symposia, informal didactic teaching, extensive collaborations across disciplines, performance of supervised research towards the student's dissertation, and opportunities for internships in other academic laboratories and biotechnology companies.The major professor, who serves as Chair of the student's MS Supervisory Committee, has responsibility for directing the student's research and, along with the Supervisory Committee (consisting of three faculty members in total), provides advice regarding a required plan of formal course work.The MS degree requires 30 credits, of which 24 credits must be coursework. Typical courses include statistics, biochemistry, physiology, reproductive physiology, nutrition, cell biology, and immunology. Two new courses will be created to increase competence of Fellows for practicing a wide variety of techniques central to reproductive biotechnology. The new courses will be Applied Reproductive Biotechnology (3 credits) and Embryo Transfer Practicum (2 credits).Students mix the practice of science at the bench or in the field with a variety of intellectual exercises in journal clubs and seminars that not only expose students to cutting-edge concepts in modern biology but which are also an avenue for developing critical thinking skills important for the ability to develop hypotheses, plan research, and interpret data. Seminars are also used to allow students to gain skills at oral communication and learn the value of scientific scrutiny of ideas. Students are expected to participate in three weekly seminar series - the Animal Sciences departmental seminar, the Animal Molecular and Cellular Biologyseminar, and the Reproductive & Perinatal Biology Seminar hosted by the D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program.A unique and fundamental aspect of the programwill be providing graduate students with the opportunity to do an internship with an organization heavily involved with one or more reproductive technologies. The goal is to give students experience with the practice of applied reproduction in a commercial setting so that they can better understand the role of reproductive biotechnology in animal agriculture and make informed decisions about future careers.Another unique feature will be the availability of an international study research allowance for support of research experiences in Brazil. This country is a world leader in the application of reproductive technologies to large-scale beef and dairy cattle operations. Often, fertility trials require large numbers of animals per group to have suitable statistical power. Brazil is one of the few places in the world where these studies can be performed. Selected Fellows will spend 2-3 months involved in hands-on activities associated with reproductive management of large beef operations in Brazil. Each Fellow will be paired with a bilingual graduate student from the University of Sao Paulo and participate in applied research conducted by faculty at that university.Research activities begin early in a student's program. The goal is to learn how to conduct research through interactive experience with the major professor, the Supervisory Committee, and fellow students in research topics of reproductive biotechnology. Among the major objectives are 1) to expose students to a wide range of concepts and techniques through interaction with other laboratories and 2) gain experience working with animals of agricultural importance. The Dept. of Animal Sciences maintains extensive farm facilities for beef and dairy cattle, horses, sheep and pigs. Most students conduct a portion of their research on a cooperating farm or ranch. Faculty are also heavily involved in research designed to generate commercial products of use to the livestock industry and veterinary community. Among major research partners are Balchem, Zoetis, Elanco, Church & Dwight, DSM Nutrition, Phibro, and Select Sires. Research conducted by thefaculty encompasses a large diversity of research topics and experimental approaches.Among the techniques utilized in their laboratories are ultrasound guided oocyte pick-up, in vitro production of embryos, oocyte freezing, embryo transfer, embryo flushing, uterine sampling, cell culture, stem cell derivation, gene editing, analysis of the transcriptome and methylome, hormone immunoassays, pharmacological control of the estrous cycle and timed artificial insemination.Many of the faculty in the program have significant extension appointmentsand all faculty participate in extension activities. Students are encouraged to obtain extension experience by participating in extension meetings or by preparing publications for producer groups.