First babies conceived with Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.

Research Question: Can an automated sperm injection robot perform Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSIA) for use in human IVF?

Design: The ICSIA robot automated the sperm injection procedure, including injection pipette advancement, zona pellucida and oolemma penetration with piezo pulses, and pipette removal after sperm release. The robot was first tested in mouse, hamster and rabbit oocytes, and subsequently using discarded human oocytes injected with microbeads. A small clinical pilot trial was conducted with donor oocytes to study the feasibility of the robot in a clinical setting.

Evaluation of the impact of laser-assisted hatching techniques on the hatching process of mouse blastocysts using time-lapse microscopy.

Objective: To study the effect of zona opening (ZO) and 2 zona thinning (ZT) techniques on the hatching process of mouse embryos using a last-generation laser system and time-lapse microscopy (TLM).

Design: Prospective randomized study.

Setting: Private research center.

Maternal spindle transfer overcomes embryo developmental arrest caused by ooplasmic defects in mice.

The developmental potential of early embryos is mainly dictated by the quality of the oocyte. Here, we explore the utility of the maternal spindle transfer (MST) technique as a reproductive approach to enhance oocyte developmental competence. Our proof-of-concept experiments show that replacement of the entire cytoplasm of oocytes from a sensitive mouse strain overcomes massive embryo developmental arrest characteristic of non-manipulated oocytes.

Parameters of the Mouse Embryo Assay that affect detection of peroxides in mineral oil.

Research Question: Can culture conditions influence the sensitivity of a Mouse Embryo Assay and its potential to detect peroxide-related toxicity in mineral oil samples?

Design: Protein type and concentration, embryo density and culture dish design were selected as the variables in the culture system with the potential to influence the assay's sensitivity. Fresh 1-cell mouse embryos were cultured under mineral oil samples with known peroxide concentrations. Protein type (human serum albumin [HSA] + α/β-Globulins versus HSA versus bovine serum albumin [BSA]), concentration (5 mg/ml versus 0.

Pre-clinical validation of a closed surface system (Cryotop SC) for the vitrification of oocytes and embryos in the mouse model.

Vitrification is currently a well-established technique for the cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos. It can be achieved either by direct (open systems) or indirect (closed systems) contact with liquid nitrogen. While there is not a direct evidence of disease transmission by transferred cryopreserved embryos, it was experimentally demonstrated that cross-contamination between liquid nitrogen and embryos may occur, and thus, the use of closed devices has been recommended to avoid the risk of contamination.