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Report
No.240406 |
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- Science and Technology - |
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World's First Piglet from Frozen Fertilized Egg In Vitro Aichi Prefecture Agricultural Research Center announced on October 31 that it successfully had a piglet born from in vitro fertilized egg kept deep-frozen for the first time in the world. Because a large number of fertilized eggs can be produced at once by means of in vitro fertilization, a technological breakthrough to enable deep-freeze preservation would pave the way for an efficient multiplication. The technology is expected to be used in making steady production of piglets by multiplication facilities of the prefecture that supply strains of pig to farms. The success results from a joint experiment with the incorporated administrative agency, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS). The piglet was born on August 14 from a fertilized egg frozen for a month. Growth after birth is reported excellent. Because in vitro fertilized egg of pig is extremely vulnerable to low temperature, there has been no example of any such egg reaching the point of birth. The Prefecture Agricultural Research Center enhanced durability of fertilized eggs against freezing by installing sugar also into the cell together with concentrated freeze-preventive materials, of which toxicity the sugar works to weaken. It also made a point of having fertilized eggs instantly frozen by using egg container of thin wall so as to prevent ice particles to attach on eggs. Also in an effort to improve the quality of fertilized eggs, the eggs fertilized in vitro were put back into uterus of a sow where they were kept for some 5 days to grow and taken out after the period for frozen storage. The technology will make it possible to preserve excellent individuals semi-permanently and thus pave the way for efficient conduct of improved breeding. It is said that multiplication of breeding sows at hog farms using the frozen eggs fertilized in vitro can be expected in the future. A research staff of the center says "The basic technique is now established. If adapted for commercial utilization in multiplication of pig of excellent strain and the cost reduced, price of piglets supplied to farms could also be lowered." |
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