In vitro prediction tests of fertility of frozen semen of sheep and cattle. Variation in fertility after artificial insemination (AI) of frozen semen is high and leads to economic loss. Routine assessment of the quality of frozen semen relies on crude, simple tests of motility and morphology of sperm. More sophisticated sperm ultrastructural and function tests have recently been developed, but it is not known how these tests relate to fertility in the field. In this project we will test a ran ....In vitro prediction tests of fertility of frozen semen of sheep and cattle. Variation in fertility after artificial insemination (AI) of frozen semen is high and leads to economic loss. Routine assessment of the quality of frozen semen relies on crude, simple tests of motility and morphology of sperm. More sophisticated sperm ultrastructural and function tests have recently been developed, but it is not known how these tests relate to fertility in the field. In this project we will test a range of in vitro methods of assessment of motility and morphology of sperm and compare them with fertility of frozen semen samples after AI, leading to more objective methods of semen analysis.Read moreRead less
Improving the efficiency of bovine oocyte maturation in vitro. For the dairy and beef industries, the hundreds of eggs (oocytes) in a high value cow's ovary that fail to produce a pregnancy are a wasted genetic resource. A key technology to unlocking this resource is in vitro maturation of oocytes, but the process is inefficient. One possible cause is that the current approaches to maturing oocytes in vitro do not adequately mimic the natural process in vivo. We will design new systems to matu ....Improving the efficiency of bovine oocyte maturation in vitro. For the dairy and beef industries, the hundreds of eggs (oocytes) in a high value cow's ovary that fail to produce a pregnancy are a wasted genetic resource. A key technology to unlocking this resource is in vitro maturation of oocytes, but the process is inefficient. One possible cause is that the current approaches to maturing oocytes in vitro do not adequately mimic the natural process in vivo. We will design new systems to mature cow oocytes in vitro by altering the chemical composition of maturation medium, thus improving the efficiency of laboratory embryo production and related technologies.Read moreRead less
Establishment of a viable sheep dairy industry in Australia. Australia imports some $10 million/year of sheep dairy products, and has a fledgling sheep milking industry. The industry needs practical management strategies to maximise returns from milk and lambs under Australian conditions. We also need to develop typical Australian sheep dairy products. This project will:
o investigate techniques to select dairy sheep from large unselected flocks
o examine management strategies to maximise ret ....Establishment of a viable sheep dairy industry in Australia. Australia imports some $10 million/year of sheep dairy products, and has a fledgling sheep milking industry. The industry needs practical management strategies to maximise returns from milk and lambs under Australian conditions. We also need to develop typical Australian sheep dairy products. This project will:
o investigate techniques to select dairy sheep from large unselected flocks
o examine management strategies to maximise returns from milk and lambs
o study udder morphology and milk ejection patterns in dairy sheep
o develop specialty sheep milk dairy products and
o determine their acceptance by consumers by conducting market surveys.
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Embryo genomics for engineering change. The proposed research program will contribute to areas that are critically important for Australia, such as agriculture, animal biodiversity, biomedicine, human health and biosafety. By addressing the high economic losses due to early embryonic mortality in farm animals, results from this research will enhance the competitiveness of Australian agriculture and biomedical research. The establishment of a world class research Centre for Animal Biotechnology a ....Embryo genomics for engineering change. The proposed research program will contribute to areas that are critically important for Australia, such as agriculture, animal biodiversity, biomedicine, human health and biosafety. By addressing the high economic losses due to early embryonic mortality in farm animals, results from this research will enhance the competitiveness of Australian agriculture and biomedical research. The establishment of a world class research Centre for Animal Biotechnology at the University of Adelaide will create a major addition to the national research base. The Centre will develop technology platforms to support various groups across the entire Australian scientific community.Read moreRead less
Development of an attenuated vaccine to control the emerging bovine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma bovis. The project will develop an attenuated vaccine to control the emerging bovine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma bovis. This pathogen is a major contributor to bovine pneumonia in the feedlot industry and improved control will reduce reliance on antibiotics in cattle production.
Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. This project aims to optimise the formulation of novel fluke vaccine antigens by constructing combination hybrid recombinant antigens and using a protein adjuvant to improve immunogenicity, and test new antigens expressed in young flukes as vaccines and evaluate their ability to synergise with hybrid vaccines. Fasciola (fluke) infections cause seriou ....Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. This project aims to optimise the formulation of novel fluke vaccine antigens by constructing combination hybrid recombinant antigens and using a protein adjuvant to improve immunogenicity, and test new antigens expressed in young flukes as vaccines and evaluate their ability to synergise with hybrid vaccines. Fasciola (fluke) infections cause serious economic losses to livestock production and fluke drug resistance threatens control, so new therapies such as a vaccine are needed. These vaccines should be evaluated in cattle trials. The major outcome plan is validation of hybrid antigens for commercial vaccine development for fluke control in cattle, leading to more sustainable beef and milk production in Australia.Read moreRead less
Proteomic and genetic analysis of subfertile bull spermatozoa. This project aims to identify protein changes on spermatozoa that are highly correlated with the fertility status of bulls. Bull fertility has approached an all-time low as breeding practice has focused predominately on milk production and beef tenderness. This project aims to understand the genetic causes that underpin bull and cattle infertility, and investigate better methods to predict the fertility status of bulls. This project ....Proteomic and genetic analysis of subfertile bull spermatozoa. This project aims to identify protein changes on spermatozoa that are highly correlated with the fertility status of bulls. Bull fertility has approached an all-time low as breeding practice has focused predominately on milk production and beef tenderness. This project aims to understand the genetic causes that underpin bull and cattle infertility, and investigate better methods to predict the fertility status of bulls. This project expects to contribute to better clinical management of cattle. This information can then be used for the development of a better diagnostic assay for both the dairy and beef industry.Read moreRead less
DNA methylation in IVF and cloned embryos. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) and cloning are new assisted reproductive technologies that in time will revolutionise genetic improvement of Australia's economically important animals. IVF and cloning can be associated with aberrant growth that results from atypical gene expression. DNA methylation is central to gene regulation and determines which genes are expressed. In this project a new technique will be used to quantify DNA methylation in naturall ....DNA methylation in IVF and cloned embryos. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) and cloning are new assisted reproductive technologies that in time will revolutionise genetic improvement of Australia's economically important animals. IVF and cloning can be associated with aberrant growth that results from atypical gene expression. DNA methylation is central to gene regulation and determines which genes are expressed. In this project a new technique will be used to quantify DNA methylation in naturally conceived, IVF and cloned embryos. The information will be used to improve IVF and cloning so that these technologies can be applied with confidence to increase the international competitiveness of Australia's livestock industries.Read moreRead less
Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, pro ....Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, providing pain mangement products for on-farm use that will reduce animal suffering during routine husbandry interventions. The project offers significant benefits for producers by protecting their industries against the threats of a welfare embargo on our livestock products. Read moreRead less
Development of a novel vaccine targeting parasite tegument proteins for liver fluke disease in livestock. Liver fluke parasites cause serious economic losses for livestock producers in South-East Australia, but drug resistance threatens parasite control and economic productivity in rural communities. This project will use novel technologies to identify lead vaccine candidates for improved fluke control to sustain agricultural productivity.