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  • BIOREC PhD Project 4

BIOREC PhD Project 4: Interaction of early pre-implantation embryos and disturbances in the cultivation environment.

PhD student: Anna KUZMANY, Animal Breeding and Genetics

Supervisors: Urban BESENFELDER, Ingrid WALTER

Abstract: There is an urgent need for investment in agricultural research to solve problems in bovine fertility caused by numerous environmental challenges such as high milk performance, health problems and disorders in animal management. Studies on In Vitro Production have generated information and new insights mainly on functional and morphological criteria for assessment of oocytes and early developing embryos. This crucial period represents a unique access to a very sensitive cell culture system acting as an experimental indicator for measuring biological responses to environmental challenges. Although the past decades were extensively used to steadily improve in vitro conditions there is still a tremendous lack between embryo developments in vitro versus in vivo. The current project aims at comparison of viability of oocytes and embryos temporally cultured in vivo and in vitro, and understanding the hormonally mediated processes underlying fertility problems in cows by monitoring steroid hormone presence and availability.

Anna KUZMANY, Mag. vet. med.

Animal Breeding and Genetics
Department for Biomedical Sciences

Working hypothesis: Short term, in vivo and in vitro exposure of oocytes and embryos to steroid hormones via the cultivation environment affects bovine fertility.

 Anna Kuzmany

"Interactions of early preimplantation embryos and disturbances in the cultural environment"

Born in Vienna in 1980 I studied Veterinary Medicine at VUW and received my degree in 2006. I focused on in vitro Production in cattle, especially on embryo morphology and cryopreservation and started with the PhD-Project in October 2007 at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics.