EliteSemen

 

EliteSemen is funded by the Milk Levy Foundation. EliteSemen is designed to be a strategic extension of our current and future activities in the EliteOva and SEARMET projects, and they are respectively funded by Innovation Foundation and EU H2020. Both are directed towards the implementation of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the breeding of milk cattle. However, EliteSemen will focus on the selection of studs in order to identify the parameters that can be used to evaluate the quality of young bull semen for IVF and sorting according to sex.

The use of IVF and sex sorting of semen combined with genomic selection of the fertilised eggs after DNA-markers will have a big importance for cattle breeding. These technologies will increase efficiency in the existing breeding procedure, given that the generation interval can be shortened and the selection strain can increase.  Moreover, a more efficient cattle breeding will make it possible to breed animals more quickly that will comply with the social objectives such as lower methane emissions. In order to make sure that the methods are socially robust, EliteSemen in synergy with EliteOva will evaluate how the general public and the industry accept its progress.

The time horizon for EliteSemen is from 1.1.2019 until 31.12.2021. 

Funding

Milk Levy Foundation

Agro Food Park 13 
DK-8200 Århus N

Partners

University of Copenhagen

Rolighedsvej 25 
DK-1958 Frederiksberg C

Aarhus University 

Blichers Alle Foulum 
DK-8830 Tjele

Viking Genetics

Ebeltoftvej 16 
DK-8900 Randers Ø

Trans Embryo Genetics

Tirsvadvej 11 Tirsvad 
DK-8740 Brædstrup 

Embryotrans Biotech Aps

Bregnevang 16 
DK-4690 Haslev

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Kreutzwaldi 62 
51014 Tartu (Estonia)