The inaugural foal conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been born in Russia. This event took place at the Horse Breeding Institute, and the young female was named Ekonika, as informed to RIA Novosti by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
The statement further clarifies that a team of experts from the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding named after Academician V.V. Kalashnikov” achieved a significant breakthrough in equine reproductive biotechnology. They successfully transferred an embryo, which had been created in vitro, into a recipient mare. The outcome of this specialized procedure was the birth of a healthy foal.
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education specifies that the specialists extracted oocytes from the donor mare using the OPU method (transvaginal follicle aspiration). Subsequently, the eggs, which had matured in vitro over a period of 36 hours, were fertilized using semen from the donor stallion. The embryo was cultured in specialized incubator conditions for eight days before being transferred to the recipient mare on the ninth day.
The creators of this scientific innovation emphasize that their success holds particular importance because embryo transfer has never before been utilized with horses in Russia. This achievement represents immense potential for the nation’s horse breeding industry. It enables the application of genetics within contemporary breeding technologies for pedigree animals, which will expedite the selection process and facilitate the development of new, competitive Russian horse breeds.
This project was executed through funding provided by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, alongside state financial backing from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, as part of the national project “Science and Universities.”
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