Calf born with the help of fish protein marks advance in bovine in vitro fertilization in Brazil

Brazil is the world's largest producer of bovine embryos and a reference in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) market. Nevertheless, the sector still faces significant challenges, and one of the main ones is the storage of embryos. The production capacity is high, but the success of the gestation depends on various factors, such as the timing of the female's reproductive cycle. Since each cow can only receive one or two embryos, most of them need to be frozen, which increases the risk of cellular loss during the process. It was in this context that research from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) developed an innovation that can change the market. The study resulted in the birth of Rafinha, the first Brazilian calf generated by IVF using an antifreeze protein found in Arctic halibut, capable of protecting embryos during freezing. Veterinarian Rafael Silva Júnior, responsible for the study, explains that this problem is recurrent in the process of freezing cells. ...