M2—iwcastf Faming, Satorday, February 27,1982
Texas researcher introduces ‘one-step’ embryo freezing
SAN ANTONIO, Tx. - A major
breakthrough development in the
freezing of cattle embryos was
announced recently by Rio Vista
Internationa, Inc. at the Bth Annual
International Embryo Transfer
Conference held at Denver’s
Regency Inn.
Albert West, 111, chairman of Rio
Vista, said that the new process is
to be called the “Rio Vista One-
Step”.
West explained that the “One-
Step” is a method by which bovine
embryos, collected from valuable
donor cows, are frozen individually
in V* cubic centimeter breeding
straw, stored in liquid nitrogen and
then at a later date thawed and
transferred into recipient cows in a
manner similar to that process
currently used to breed cows by
artificial insemination.
This means, West said, that
embryos can now be used to breed
cows with the same type of per
sonnel and equipment involved in
breeding by artificial in
semination.
The potential of this process,
developed by Dr. Stanley Leibo,
head of research and development
for Rio Vista, has major economic,
as well as technological
significance. West said. As with all
successful freezing processes, the
“Rio Vista One-Step” allows for
indefinite storage of frozen em
bryos and for inexpensive tran
sport of these embryos.
According to West, the “One-
Step” is the first improvement in
embryo transfer technology which
has the potential to reduce the cost
of the embryo transfer process.
“The process is designed to be
‘goof-proof because the embryo
does not have to be handled or
examined during the thawing
stages, thereby eliminating the
need for a trained embryologist
with sophisticated equipment to be
present at the time of transfer,”
West said. “Furthermore, the new
process requires less than 25
percent of the time currently
ATTENTION
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RODENTS carry diseases which
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Pest control is too important
to trust to anyone else
needed to prepare frozen-thawed
embryos for transfer.”
A skilled artificial insemination
technician, with some additional
training and practice, will be able
to perform successful embryo
transfers. This should be essen
tially important. West noted, in
importing and exporting of em
bryos to areas of the world where
trained embryo transfer personnel
are at a minimum.
Another benefit of the - “One-
Step” process is that it allows for
embryos to be thawed individually
as recipient cows become
available, drastically reducing the
size, cost, and management of
recipient herds for embryo
transfer.
West said that the service will be
available from Rio Vista as soon as
necessary production equipment is
in place at the firm’s San Antonio
facility. He estimates that that will
be March 15. The cost, he said, is
expected to be similar to present
charges for producing pregnancies
from frozen embryos.
Rio Vista International of San
Antonio is one of only 40 North
American companies specializing
in cattle embryo transfer and is
generally acknowledged to be the
leading commercial firm in this
new area of animal husbandry.
The firm is involved in all phases
of cattle production.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - New
York has been added to the list of
states U.S. Department of
Agriculture officials have ap
proved to handle breeding age
mares imported from countries
affected by contagious equine
metritis, a venereal disease of
horses.
John K. Atwell, deputy ad
ministrator of USDA’s Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service,
said New York regulations meet
federal requirements for
quarantining, testing and treating
mares from countries affected
with the disease.
Other states currently approved
to receive mares from countries
affected with the disease are
Kentucky and Virginia.
Under the USDA procedures, a
mare over 731 days old can be
imported from a country affected
with the disease only after she
1278 loop ML
Lancaster, PA
17604
717-387-3721
N.Y.'is added to list of states to import
.*
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■> 4
A major breakthrough in freezing cattle timeter breeding straw, stored in liquid
embryos has been tagged the "Rio Vista One- nitrogen, later thawed and transferred to
Step". Embryos are frozen in 1/4 cubic cen- recipients.
mares from €EM countries
undergoes prescribed treatments ment and tests.”
there, if all tests are negative, she “As a designated state,” Atwell
can be shipped to the United States said, “New York will hold un
for the normal port-of-entry ported mares in quarantine,
quarantine and then consigned to a provide precautionary treatment
state designated by USDA to ad- against the disease for five days
minister post-entry quarantine and and will then administer a senes of
additional precautionary treat- .three tests for the disease at least
tr
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seven days apart. If ail tests are
negative, mares will' then be
released from quarantine. ”
Pregnant mares must remain
under quarantine until they foal,
then both mare and foal must pass
negative tests for the disease. -
Refreshments!