Beef Genetics News

Iowa State Livestock Research Aims to Uncover How Biological Factors Impact Human Fertility

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:25:44 GMT

Despite having sperm with good motility (forward movement) and morphology (cell shape), one out of every four boars experience a conception rate of less than 80%. The issue mirrors human fertility challenges with one out of eight couples struggling with infertility, and one-third of those cases are attributed to male factors, according to the National Institute of Health.

“Pigs and cattle are species we have plenty of oocytes and sperm cells available for, allowing us to conduct in vitro fertilization research,” says Karl Kerns, Iowa State University assistant professor of animal science in a recent article . “They also are effective models for human reproduction compared to rodents, who do not model the human as well genetically or phenotypically at the cellular level.”

He dedicates his research efforts to pigs and cattle .

Kerns’ Lab specializes in molecular reproductive physiology with a focus on understanding and enhancing livestock sire fertility. The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including andrology and molecular biology labs as well as an in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab. The IVF lab has computer-assisted semen analysis and time-lapse fluorescent microscopes to image-based flow cytometry paired with deep learning, artificial intelligence analysis methods and sorting flow cytometry.

The lab’s goal is to enhance reproductive efficiency by analyzing sperm quality and identifying biological markers that influence fertility rates. The process involves sorting sperm cells using advanced flow cytometry technology. The sorter system uses microfluidics and lasers to analyze and sort cells based on fluorescence-marked biomarkers.

“We can track thousands of cells per second, identifying key fertility indicators and sorting them accordingly,” Kerns says.

The process allows for an in-depth analysis of fertility potential and production capabilities.

Kerns’ team employs both positive and negative biomarkers to evaluate sperm quality. Positive biomarkers are generally considered good and reflect increased chances of conception, while negative biomarkers can indicate compromised fertility potential.

The team also assesses mitochondrial activity, zinc signatures and protein detection, all of which assist the lab in detecting and analyzing both healthy and unhealthy sperm.

Ian Shofner, a third-year doctorate student in mammalian reproductive physiology, focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) and developing models that predict sperm fertility metrics in the Kerns Lab.

“Currently, male fertility diagnostics are lacking in accuracy, and my work aims to improve these predictions for better assessments of male fertility in mammals,” Shofner explains. “With this, we intend on enabling the industry to make cost-effective AI solutions for fertility diagnostics using affordable brightfield microscopy technology.”

Tyler Weide, a third-year doctorate student in the interdepartmental genetics and genomics program, has an emphasis on uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms for fertilization.

“It’s an ideal environment for those interested in reproductive physiology to apply critical thinking in solving complex problems relevant to both agricultural and biomedical sciences,” Weide says.

Your Next Read: Gene Editing: Livestock Genetic Improvement Through DNA Editing

Saddle & Sirloin Honors Jarold Callahan

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 20:36:58 GMT

What do purple banners, board room gavels and steno pads have in common? They’re all items that epitomize Jarold Callahan’s significant influence on the beef industry. Aptly, the Edmond Oklahoma cattleman has been chosen as 2023 inductee into the Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery.

Largely considered one of the highest honors in the livestock industry, the Saddle and Sirloin Gallery was established in 1903 and recognizes one individual each year for their lifetime of exceptional service to the livestock business both nationally and internationally.

(Farm Journal)

“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award,” said Callahan when told he would be the 2023 inductee.

Callahan grew up near Welch, Oklahoma on a diversified family farm and cattle operation where he developed his passion for farming and ranching. He continued on to be a member of the Northeast Oklahoma (NEO) A&M Livestock Judging team and the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Livestock Judging team where he was second high individual overall at both Fort Worth and Houston, as well as third high individual overall at Chicago.

Capitalizing on his livestock judging abilities, Callahan coached judging teams at both NEO and OSU that found large amounts of success, allowing Callahan to be recognized as the National Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Coach of the Year four times while at OSU. Apart from his time as a judging coach, Callahan helped to secure a substantial donation of equipment and Angus cattle to OSU which included the famed DF Empress 6079, a cow that would produce more than $1,000,000 of progeny at OSU.

“Many have benefitted from Jarold Callahan’s willingness to share his time, expertise, and leadership skills. His collective accomplishments as a teacher, coach, administrator, lobbyist, businessman, cattle breeder and industry leader are unparalleled,” says Dr. Mark Johnson, chairman of Callahan’s nominating committee.

For more than a quarter of a century, Callahan served as the President of Express Ranches, a diversified purebred operation headquartered in Yukon, Oklahoma. Under Callahan’s leadership, Express Ranches contributed a larger volume of genomic test results or large contemporary group phenotypic weights and measures to the American Angus Association® and American Hereford Association databases than any other purebred breeding establishment over the past decade.

Callahan’s involvement in the cattle industry is vast, encompassing commercial cow-calf production, stocker grazing and cattle finishing in addition to his internationally recognized success in the purebred sector of multiple breeds. Jarold and his wife Jennifer have personally owned and fed as many as 20,000 head of cattle per year for much of their married life and they are as invested in all aspects of the beef production chain as any family in the beef industry.

Jarold served as a member of the American Angus Association® Board of Directors from 2004 through 2012, serving as President and Chairman of the Board in 2012.

During his tenure on the American Angus Association Board of Directors, Jarold was an influential driver in the formation of the for-profit subsidiary Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI®) which allowed the American Angus Association to become the purebred industry leader in the development and application of genomic-enhanced EPD predictions and bio-economic indexes.

The Saddle & Sirloin Club will honor Callahan and his many industry contributions during a portrait presentation and banquet on Nov. 12 in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition at the Kentucky State Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Saddle and Sirloin Club has set the goal of raising $150,000 to fund the expenses of the portrait and presentation, and to establish the Callahan Endowment Fund to ensure that future livestock industry leaders have access to the educational opportunities offered by the Oklahoma State University Purebred Beef Center.

If you would like to reserve banquet tickets or donate to the fund, visit www.callahansaddleandsirloin.com for more information.

How Does Iowa State Research on Swine Sire Fertility Impact Cattle, Humans?

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 19:43:03 GMT

Sire infertility is a problem for the reproductive performance of swine, despite the greater attention that has long been given to the female side of the equation.

“We know that 25% of the boar herd has less than 80% conception rates, which is considered unacceptable by industry,” said Karl Kerns, assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University and 2014 alum of the same department. “By adding even one more pig to a litter, we could increase production by an estimated $120 million annually. To improve that, we need to learn more about what influences the capacity of sperm to fertilize. That means developing better tools for researching sperm health – and making it easier for the industry to use the knowledge we already have.”

Kerns is leading a new five-year grant from the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture to support research on boar sperm capacitation -- the biological pathways that support spermatozoa’s ability to fertilize. The grant is one of 14 funded nationwide under NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) - Animal Reproduction Program. This project, and two other recent awards to collaborate with colleagues at the University of Missouri and the USDA Agricultural Research Service, total $1.7 million in federal support for Kerns’ work studying male fertility.

Kerns takes a molecular approach to analyze the biochemical makeup of sperm, especially the proteins, fats and energy sources that signal which sperm are more – or less -- fertile. The AFRI project focuses on swine, but has implications for other species, including cattle and humans.

To study sire fertility, he uses a state-of-the-art piece of equipment found in few andrology labs around the world: an image-based flow cytometer, “basically a high-throughput microscope,” he explained. In a matter of a 30-60 seconds, the cytometer allows imaging of up to 10,000 sperm cells and up to nine biomarkers within each cell. Kerns then uses computer-based artificial intelligence to link the resulting vast data set of images with reproductive outcomes. This kind of equipment and approach has become more common in human health research, such as the cancer field, but it has not been used to study livestock fertility, according to Kerns.

The project has multiple goals, including reducing barriers in the swine industry to use the best available information on swine genetics and reproductive capacity.

“In the past, the uptake of relevant technology has been slowed by the high cost of lab equipment, the need for highly skilled labor and increased analysis time, none of which are conducive to production,” said Kerns. “This new project will use analytical software resources aimed at providing accessible, economical methods and equipment that can more quickly translate findings from the lab bench to barns.”

Another aspect of the research is to investigate the lipid (or fats), protein and energy sources of fertile spermatozoa to see if supplements can increase sperm cell survival after insemination and boost fertility.

His previous foundational work has already had an impact on the livestock industry. While doing graduate and postdoctoral research at the University of Missouri, he and his team found a relationship between zinc ions and the fertilization competency of boar spermatozoa. That information, now termed the “mammalian sperm zinc signature,” has improved boar and bull fertility diagnostics. Further research on the influence of zinc on sperm health is an ongoing area of focus.

“Male fertility is one part of the fertility equation that is often overlooked, but it’s critically important,” Kerns said. “However, this is not just about swine. We are taking a ‘One Health’ approach that is likely to be relevant to other mammals, including cattle and humans. For instance, infertility is a costly issue for the beef industry, representing a $4.7 billion annual loss for U.S. cattle producers.”

“Eventually this could also lead to better fertility diagnostics for humans,” he said. “One out of eight couples struggle with infertility. We know that men contribute up to two-thirds of the problem directly and indirectly. Current human infertility treatments are not only very expensive, with low success rates, but also can put undue stress on the emotional health of the couple when not diagnosed correctly. Having better diagnostics to identify male fertility issues, and better ways to address them, could reduce the stigma we now often unduly place on women and greatly boost reproductive success for couples.”

Read more from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Boar Fertility: It’s Not Just About Form and Speed

Gene Editing: Experts Say it’s Time to Remodel Regulatory Landscape

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 14:13:04 GMT

In order for gene editing in agricultural animals to “unleash enormous gains in productivity,” a remodeling of the federal landscape is imperative, experts conclude.

The panel, convened by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), has spent the past 18 months studying this issue and recently released the “ AAVMC/APLU Gene Editing in Agriculture Task Force Report .”

“Gene editing has the capacity to create transformational change in our food production systems,” Noelle Cockett, president of Utah State University, a renowned geneticist, and chair of the task force said in a release. “But in order to realize those benefits in production and safety, we need a regulatory structure that has kept pace with technology.”

The report suggests current regulatory protocols have not kept up with technological change and must be modernized in order for society to realize the benefits of new scientific capabilities. Reform is needed to address the food security and sustainability needs of a global population expected to reach 10 billion people by 2050.

“For the promises of applying gene editing in livestock to be realized, federal regulatory approval and monitoring processes that are rooted in science and streamlined with the pace of development, as well as public acceptance of food derived from gene edited animals, are essential,” authors said in the report.

If remodeling of the federal regulatory landscape doesn’t happen soon, the U.S. will not be able to sustain its place as a global leader and innovator in the animal agriculture sector and keep up with the expanding global human population, the report said.

Regulatory recommendations
Currently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates genetic work on food animals as an “animal drug” under protocols developed during the early phases of the Biotechnology Revolution. The USDA regulates these technologies with crops.

The report offers these recommendations:
1. Update the existing FDA regulatory framework (currently based upon processes established for transgenic technologies that are out of step with state-of-the-art gene editing technologies) and develop a coordinated, streamlined, fact-based, and cost-effective assessment and approval process between the USDA and FDA to ensure safe food.

2. Develop an evidence and logic-based decision-making protocol for gene editing applications that is regulated separately from transgenic-based GMOs which result from the integration of recombinant DNA.

3. Develop streamlined assessment and approval processes that categorize gene editing applications based on: a) the type of genomic change being created, b) the method used for creating the genomic change, c) the impact on the welfare of the animal, and d) the potential for negative impact on the environment.

4. Develop a regulatory channel for approval of gene-edited agricultural animals with genomic structures that could have arisen in nature as safe for human consumption.

Steps to Unlock the Potential
The panel also outlined a series of steps that could help pave the way for fully reaping the potential benefits of gene editing technology:

• Establish a national coalition of scientific experts, bioethicists and engagement specialists from APLU and AAVMC member institutions to serve as a sounding board and think-tank related to the modernization of the existing federal regulatory framework.

• Engage with federal legislators, staffers, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and inform them on key issues related to regulatory approval and monitoring processes for gene editing applications in livestock.

• Distribute the task force report to stakeholder organizations and agencies like U.S. Land-grant universities, the FDA, the USDA, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the Gates Foundation and others.

• Establish a University Research Consortium of scientific experts developing gene editing applications in livestock that will facilitate collaborative research and educational initiatives.

“Our task force has thoughtfully and carefully considered many different aspects of this issue, including perspectives from the scientific and agricultural communities, and we have made our recommendations. We hope this work will meaningfully inform the work of government officials as they develop the best public policy in this area,” Cockett said in a release.

Task Force members include Cockett; Jon Oatley, Washington State University; Bhanu Telugu, Universities of Missouri and Maryland; Londa Nwadike, Kansas State University and University of Missouri; Jonathan Beever, University of Tennessee; Rex Dunham, Auburn University; and James Murray, University of California, Davis; Kathy Simmons, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; and Clint Nesbitt, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). The task force was staffed by AAVMC Director for Governmental Affairs Mr. Kevin Cain.

Read the full report .

Read more:

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USDA Oversight of Gene-Edited Livestock: A Seismic Shift for Agriculture

Gene Editing Promise Stalled at FDA

Virus-Resistant Pigs Provide Answers to Global Threats

Ag Needs White House Support on Gene-Edited Livestock Oversight

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Livestock Producers on Level Playing Field Thanks to MOU Between USDA and FDA

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 20:46:06 GMT

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been finalized regarding regulation of certain animals developed using genetic engineering. USDA announced the MOU with the Food and Drug Administration that outlines responsibilities regarding genetically engineered animals that are intended for agricultural purposes such as human food, fiber and labor.

This MOU complements USDA’s issuance of an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on the Movement of Animals Modified or Developed by Genetic Engineering on December 28, 2020.

“Today’s Memorandum of Understanding clears a path to bring our regulatory framework into the 21st century, putting American producers on a level playing field with their competitors around the world. In the past, regulations stifled innovation, causing American businesses to play catch-up and cede market share,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in a release. “America has the safest and most affordable food supply in the entire world thanks to the innovation of our farmers, ranchers and producers. Establishing a new, transparent, risk and science-based regulatory framework would ensure this continues to be the case.”

The terms of the MOU support USDA’s ANPR outlining a contemplated regulatory framework that would apply to certain animals (cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses, mules, or other equines, catfish, and poultry) developed using genetic engineering intended for agricultural purposes, USDA explains. Under this framework, USDA would safeguard animal and human health by overseeing pre-market reviews through post-market food safety monitoring for certain farm animals modified or developed using genetic engineering that are intended for human food.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) applauded the MOU signed between the USDA and the FDA, giving USDA primary regulatory jurisdiction over the development of gene-edited livestock.

“NPPC has been calling for this decision for more than three years to ensure that U.S. agriculture maintains its competitive edge globally. We look forward to working with the Biden administration to implement a technology that has the potential to improve animal health, further reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint and improve production efficiency,” NPPC said in a statement.

The MOU also allows for the transition of portions of FDA’s pre-existing animal biotechnology regulatory oversight to USDA. USDA would continue to coordinate closely with FDA to fulfill oversight responsibilities and provide the appropriate regulatory environment, ensuring the safety of products derived from new technologies and fostering innovation at the same time, the release said.

FDA would continue its review of intentional genomic alterations intended for any purpose other than agricultural use, such as biopharma and non-heritable genomic alteration, and the regulation of dairy products, table and shell eggs, certain meat products and animal feed derived from animals developed using genetic engineering.

Read More:

FDA Stalls U.S. Gene-Edited Livestock Efforts

USDA Oversight of Gene-Edited Livestock: A Seismic Shift for Agriculture

USDA Oversight of Gene-Edited Livestock: A Seismic Shift for Agriculture

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 21:01:23 GMT

USDA announced its intention on Monday to have primary oversight over gene-edited livestock. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said this would be a significant step in modernizing regulations of agricultural animals modified or produced by genetic engineering.

“This would be a seismic shift for agriculture,” Greg Ibach, USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, told AgriTalk’s host Chip Flory on Monday. “This provides an opportunity for U.S. animal agriculture to catch up with our competitors worldwide, since Canada, Argentina, Brazil and China all have paths forward for animal biotechnology that improve animal health and animal welfare and we do not. This will help our producers be able to use less antibiotics, treat fewer sick animals, and be able to eliminate traits that like horns that cause animal stress in the production cycle.”

Last year, President Trump ordered federal agencies to streamline the approval process for biotechnology products used in farming. Secretary Perdue announced that USDA will move forward with an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit public input and feedback on a contemplated regulatory framework that would modernize our system into a scientifically-sound, risk-based, and predictable process that facilitates the development and use of these technologies for U.S. farmers and ranchers under USDA’s authorities.

“Earlier this year we moved forward with the secure rule which paved the way for the first update for plant biotechnology regulation in 30 years. We’ve continued to work and using APHIS’ animal health authorities and FSIS’ food safety authorities, we now have a proposal that we would like to take comments on where we would use those authorities to be able to provide a safe, seamless, predictable, science-based way forward to approve animal biotechnology trade,” Ibach explained.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) already has a review process in place for gene editing in plants, which can serve as a model for livestock.

“FDA has taken a look at the food animal biotechnology trade and has attempted to regulate them under their drug authority,” Ibach said. “As we know, these don’t represent drugs, they are alternations that enhance health, enhance animal welfare – traits like the hornless Holstein cow that was developed by Alison Van Eenennaam. Working with FDA to identify a path forward using our animal health and food safety regulatory authority for food animals is progress.”

FDA would still maintain authority over animals that have biotechnology traits that allow for biomedical or pharmaceutical uses, he added.

“It seems like common sense to have this at USDA rather than FDA. But that’s from a farm boy’s perspective,” Flory said.

So, how do you explain this to a consumer?

“Each and every day and for the past 30 years, USDA has regulated plant biotechnology and we’ve identified traits and advances in plants that have improved the availability of food for consumers across the world and lessened the amount of herbicides and pesticides used to produce crops,” Ibach said. “And we’ve done that successfully without any adverse side effects.”

USDA plans to use the same food safety and animal health statutes where they have authority to regulate animals and apply them to animal biotechnology.

A Quantum Leap Forward
The U.S. has long been a leader in livestock genetics. Unfortunately, without a clear path forward, researchers are going to Canada, Brazil, Argentina and China to be able to commercialize these technologies because we do not have a clear path forward in the U.S., Ibach said.

“This will help us be able to put American farmers and ranchers first – put them in the driver’s seat – if we can develop a predictable regulatory authority that will give them access to these traits and not their foreign competitors,” Ibach added.

Without this change, it will become continually harder for the U.S. to compete. Moving oversight to USDA will make the process better to advance technology to develop immunities that would reduce the use of antibiotics, develop traits that would ensure continued humane treatment and maybe even enhance humane treatment on our farms, and decrease animal suffering and all those things would be good for consumers, he said.

The Federal Register will publish this posting on Dec. 28, beginning a 60-day comment period. Ibach encouraged all interested parties to give input about what they would like to see and what the advantages they see to USDA moving forward with a rulemaking and what factors would be important in a proposed rule from USDA.

“We think this is something that is very good for agriculture, and that it’s not administration-driven. It will be just as good for agriculture today as it will be in 3060 or 360 days from today. We believe that we’ll see a strong response from agriculture and animal agriculture especially. We anticipate that the comments that we will receive will be used by the next administration as they contemplate moving forward with a rule,” Ibach said.

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A One of a Kind Animal Germplasm Collection Reaches a Major Milestone

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:04:35 GMT

By Dennis O’Brien

When the sample of semen from the Duroc boar—a breed of domestic pig—arrived in Fort Collins, Colo., this spring, it went largely unnoticed. But the scientists and staff at the Agricultural Research Service’s National Animal Germplasm Collection knew they had reached a milestone. The boar semen was the one millionth sample of animal germplasm to arrive at the facility, which began operating in 1999. “It was a pretty big moment for us,” says geneticist Harvey Blackburn , who leads the ARS National Animal Germplasm Program , based in Fort Collins.

The ARS collection is the largest of its kind in the world and it’s designed to ensure that there is enough genetic diversity available for breeders to meet the changing needs of the farmers and ranchers who provide much of our food supply. Only with such a diverse collection of genetic stock, available for breeding, can farmers and ranchers address the potential threats posed by emerging diseases, invasive pests, illnesses and fertility problems. Producers and breeders also need to be able to respond to changing consumer demands.

The collection is made up of samples of sperm, embryos, and tissues (e.g., ovaries and blood) of 167 breeds (36 species) of domesticated animals, such as cattle, pigs, chickens and sheep, along with farmed aquatic species, such as catfish, trout, salmon, and oysters. It also includes less common domesticated species like bison, elk, and even yaks. The million samples have been sent to Fort Collins voluntarily over the years by approximately 3,500 animal breeders, universities and in some cases, private companies that market genetic resources for cattle, swine, poultry, and trout, Blackburn said. Most of the cattle semen samples come cryogenically preserved. Semen from pigs, rams, goats, and fish often arrives fresh and is packaged and cryopreserved at the laboratory.

Why build such a collection?

It’s a valuable tool for exploring animal genomes and, when appropriate, it’s used to reintroduce livestock and aquatic species into living populations, Blackburn said. It’s also less expensive to store animal germplasm than to maintain live populations. The samples of semen and embryos, some of which predate the collection, have been stored in liquid nitrogen since the 1950s, at minus 300° F, a temperature cold enough to stop all biological processes, essentially putting them in “suspended animation,” Blackburn added.

Research scientists say the collection is vital to their work."Our project would not have been possible without the collection,” said Chad Dechow, an associate professor of dairy cattle genetics at Penn State University. He used the collection to produce Holstein offspring from 1950 era bulls with genetic variability no longer found in the living populations.

Holsteins are critical to the nation’s dairy industry, but breeding for specific traits, such as milk production, that began in earnest in the 1950s have limited the breed’s genetic diversity, which makes it difficult to address more recent problems, such as infertility. Breeding Holsteins with DNA from older lines, that were stored in the collection, should replenish the genetic diversity of Holsteins and give breeders better genetic tools to address modern day challenges, Dechow said.

“When we started artificially inseminating cattle in the 1950s and 60s, certain traits didn’t appear to be valuable, but our selection goals will always change with time. The collection ensures that we have the genetic resources we need to meet those goals,” he said.

Blackburn estimates that he and his colleagues have sent out about 6,000 samples to scientists, researchers and breeders in the past 10 years. Along with Dechow’s Holstein project, scientists have used samples in a variety of efforts, including studying the meat quality in pigs and addressing a lethal genetic mutation that can cripple and kill Angus beef cattle.

There are 128 animal gene banks in the world, but the USDA collection is by far the largest, according to the United Nation ‘s Food and Agriculture Organization . Collections kept by the Dutch and French are the next closest in size, with each of them having about half a million animal germplasm samples.

“It’s a comprehensive resource and it provides a critical backup for the nation’s food security,” Blackburn added.