St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine (SPbGUVM)

History

2024: Reproductive Technology Lab Launch

A laboratory of reproductive technologies was launched at the St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine (SPbGUVM). The first planting of embryos obtained by the in vitro method for breeding cattle at the enterprises of the Leningrad Region is planned in early 2025. The university announced this on December 13, 2024.

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SPbMCVM

In the laboratory, investments in the creation of which amounted to 40-50 million rubles, as of December 2024, 11 specialists have completed internships in leading world centers, including the international school for embryo transplantation of Dr. Peter Elsden in the United States and the Frederich Lefler Institute in Germany.

Embryos grown in the laboratory will be supplied to large breeding plants in the Leningrad region.

Most often, factories are asked to be hooked. That is, for our specialists to go to the farm and engrave the embryo - they directly introduced it into the uterine cavity. The calculation occurs after the presence of pregnancy in animals is recorded. On average, a transplant for each animal costs about 40-50 thousand rubles, - said the rector of St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University Kirill Plemyashov.

Over the past two years, with the participation of university specialists, 15 bull producers with TPI indicators of the 2700-2800 index have been withdrawn and transferred to tribal stations of the country, which corresponds to the level of foreign analogues. The developed mathematical modeling system for the selection of breeding young demonstrates 80% reliability in comparison with the subsequent genomic assessment.

The production capacity of the laboratory will be more than 200 evaluated embryos per year with an engraftment of at least 40% after cryopreservation. One of the first partners will be the selection and genetic center of the Bugra breeding plant, which is expected to open in 2025. The laboratory will become a scientific and personnel base for the center.

The creation of the laboratory became possible thanks to the agreement on interaction between SPbGUVM and the Committee of the Agro-Industrial Complex of the Leningrad Region, signed in 2023. The document is aimed at increasing the level of breeding value of dairy cattle in the region.

As of December 2024, about 98% of the market for genetic material of cattle in Russia is imported - more than 7 million doses of seed from abroad are imported into the country annually. According to Viktor Loktionov, General Director of the Bugra breeding plant, to create a highly progressive breeding farm in Russia, it is necessary to produce 10 million embryos annually.