Creation of a center for the production of genotyped embryos - EMBRYOGEN

The operation applies to farms that raise cattle, both dairy and beef breeds. Poland's cattle population in 2021 is close to 6.5 million head, of which about 90% are Holstein-Friesian - HF cattle with dairy characteristics.

At the moment, Poland, along with Germany, France, the UK and the Netherlands, ranks among the top 6 leading European countries in milk production. These countries together account for almost 70% of the EU's milk production, which is more than 150 million tons per year. Poland's largest and most developed cattle breeders, concerned with improving the genetic value of their herds, especially dairy herds, but also meat herds, are striving to accelerate breeding progress using available biotechs for reproduction.

• Currently, artificial insemination of cows is widely used in Poland. This method makes it possible to significantly multiply the number of offspring by only the best bulls.
• Embryotransfer, on the other hand, is a method that makes it possible to increase the reproductive potential of the best females as well. However, in Poland, breeders use this method only to a limited extent.

The reason for this is the low efficiency and relatively high cost, probably due to the lack of cooperation between veterinarians, biotechnology companies and scientific units in implementing embryo transfer services into breeding practice. In the United States, where we see the world's fastest genetic progress in cattle breeding, there has been a steady increase in the use of embryotransfer in the reproduction of this species since 2008. In 2020, despite the pandemic, more than 1.5 million transferred embryos were recorded in the US for the first time. In Europe, by comparison, about four times fewer embryos were transferred in 2020, compared to only a few hundred procedures in Poland.

The project planned by the operational group for innovation EMBRYOGEN will make it possible to significantly improve the management and development of cattle herds on Polish farms, using Polish genetic potential, derived from leading dairy cattle breeders. The development and implementation into practice on the farms of consortium members, of a method of valuing embryos even before they are transferred to the recipients, will allow the selection of only the most genetically valuable offspring, enabling genetic progress that was previously impossible in Poland and very rare in Europe.

We would like the future implementation of the project results to significantly increase the scale of production of both washed-out and in vitro produced embryos in both dairy and beef cattle breeding in Poland. The long-term goal of the project will be to enable Polish cattle breeders to access the service of selecting produced embryos for transfer to recipient females based on the results of genomic valuation even before transfer.

The immediate goal of the operation is to create Poland's first innovative center for the production of genotyped embryos - Embryogen, and to compare the valuation of offspring born, based on the native genetics present on these farms, with the valuation of offspring born after the transfer of commercially available on the market for the Polish cattle breeder, embryos with known genomic valuation. The creation of the Embryogen center will be possible thanks to the creation of a consortium and the combination of the strengths and skills of a leading scientific unit - the Zootechnique Institute in Balice and two embryo production and storage teams -Embriovet and Invivet, which have functioned separately so far, as well as a group of 14 cattle breeders. The functioning of the Embryogen center will allow the most developed Polish cattle breeders to have access to the world's most modern biotechnological methods used in ruminant reproduction at the moment, in order to enable the fastest genetic progress on their farms.

Project activities

• Stage 1 Purchase of commercially available to the breeder embryos of known genomic valuation. 
• Stage 2. Selection of the best and most advantageous embryo production method for the breeder - in vivo production method - washing or in vitro production.
• Stage 3. washing out the embryos.
• Stage 4 Collection of oocytes. 
• Stage 5. in vitro embryo production. 
• Stage 6. Setting up a laboratory workstation for in vitro reproduction technology.
• Stage 7. Setting parameters for trophectoderm biopsy. 
• Stage 8. Genomic valuation of embryos and calves.

The main benefits of the project

More efficient genetic selection of cattle - thanks to the implementation into breeding practice and the spread of embryo production, the process of cattle reproduction will be optimized, leading to a significant improvement in the genetic value of herds, ensuring breeding progress that was impossible before. The developed solutions will enable breeding in a more efficient and effective manner.

• Implementation of the effects of the operation will reduce the number of cattle hybrids on farms in favor of high-yielding, high-value, genetically selected animals. 
• Greater economic returns to cattle farms from running a specialized cattle farm will be possible on the same scale when running a herd with a much smaller stocking rate. This will result in reduced CO2 emissions.
• Breeders will get the opportunity to access the service of selecting produced embryos prior to transfer to female recipients based on the results of genomic valuation.
• These activities will translate into targeted, informed selection of individuals for reproduction. Breeding progress on the farm will be the fastest possible, while reducing the environmental impact of the activity.

Results achieved

The direct aim of the project was to create the first in Poland, innovative Center for genotyping of bovine embryos as well as to compare genetic value of the offspring born from domestic genetics present in polish herds with the genetic value of the offspring born from commercially available for the farmers embryos.

The creation of the Center of Embryogen was possible due to the cooperation of the National Institute in Balice and two commercial Embryo Production teams- Embriovet and Invivet as well as 14 polish farmers. The possibilities of the Center of Embryogen enabled polish farmers an easy access to the most efficient and innovative biotechnological methods utilized in the breeding of cattle in order to gain the most rapid genetic progress in their herds.

Obtained results:

1. We obtained and transferred to recipients embryos comercially available for the farmers. 
2. We selected the most appropriate method of bovine embryo production – flushing in vivo or in vitro culture in all the farms of the Consortium members.
3. About 600 embryos were either flushed or produced in vitro (after collection of oocytes from donors).
4. We launched the laboratory work station for conductiong in vitro embryo culture as well as optimized the parameters of trofectoderm biopsy of the blastocyst in order to collect biological material for examination. 
5. We optimized the method of genetic assesment of the embryos - PF index.
6. The DNA confirmation as well as genetic assessment was conducted for all the calves born from transferred embryos. 

• Due to the implementation of the results of the project there was a significant increase of the number of embryos either flushed or produced in vitro in the herds of the members of Embryogen consortium, 
• Due to the realisation of the project, all the members of Embryogen consortium had much easier access to the service of the selection of the proper embryos for transfer into recipients, based on the genetic merit assessment even before embryotransfer.
• Due to the implementation of the results of the project to the breeding practice as well as popularization of embryo production, the reproduction management in cattle farms was optimized which in turn resulted in the significant improvement of the genetic merit of the herds, leading to the impossible so far breeding progress.