The Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $120,000 Project Grant under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program to Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University from July 2021 through June 2023. The grant funds research to investigate embryonic losses occurring during blastocyst hatching and embryo elongation in cattle, which can significantly impact the cattle industry.
The principal investigator will objectively test the central hypothesis that interleukin-6 functions as a key facilitator of early embryonic development in cattle and is essential for normal development in vivo. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and RNA sequencing technology along with other biochemical and molecular techniques, the research aims to provide novel insights into inner cell mass development and blastocyst elongation in cattle. Outcomes of the funded work could help address a major hurdle in the cattle industry by elucidating factors responsible for early pregnancy losses.
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