Sexed embryo a world first for Aus cattle industry

farmonline Stock & Land - Australia

10/09/2008 4:47:00 PM

The University of Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science has achieved a world first: breeding a sex-sorted calf using frozen-thawed, sex-sorted, refrozen-thawed sperm.

This is the first time this pioneering technique has been used to successfully breed a sex-determined calf.

It's a breakthrough which has the potential to revolutionise the Australian cattle industry.

Born at Corstorphine Farm - the University of Sydney’s Camden facility - on August 10, Xena (named because

the sperm used carried an X chromosome) is the first sex-selected calf to be born using the new double freezing and sex-sorting method.

The development means that the sperm are able to survive a twice freezing and twice thawing procedure, as well as being sorted into X and Y-chromosome populations to allow pre-selection of the sex.

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