Season 1, Episode 1 - Reproductive Technologies in Animal Agriculture

Updated: Nov 30, 2023

All the important links, repro news and guest bios from this month's episode

Photo courtesy of Select Sires

Guests

Dr Bo Harstine

Dr. Bo Harstine is the Director of Research for Select Sires Inc, the largest global cattle genetics cooperative. As a scientist, he advocates for the use of precision agriculture to efficiently produce safe food. His professional roles focus on research design and implementation related to andrology, fertility, genetics/genomics, and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in cattle. Bo interfaces research in these areas with product development, legal considerations, and regulatory aspects to achieve commercial applications. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor within The Ohio State University’s Department of Animal Science.

Dr Michylla Seal

Michylla Seal graduated from Murdoch University. She has worked in mixed rural practice and has over 20 years experience in practice focussed solely delivering artificial reproduction and veterinary services for small ruminants. She has worked across Australia and internationally delivering artificial reproduction services as well as health, management, nutrition and genetic advice to sheep producers. Michylla is currently a partner in Genstock in WA and continues to pursue her passion in artificial breeding, market access, flock health and preventative medicine as part of a whole management program.

Mark Mortimer

Mark is part of a mixed cropping & sheep family farming business in the central west of NSW. Mark’s main role is the running the Centre Plus ram breeding nucleus with a strong fucus on genetics and reproduction technologies. This work has led to advisory roles with industry where Mark sits on several committees including The National Live Stock Genetics Consortium with MLA, The Sheep Genetics technical committee with AGBU and the Merino Link & Macquarie Merino Life Time Productivity trails with AWI.

Early Career Researcher Spotlight

Jason Rizo

Jason is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Missouri, having completed his Masters degree at the University of Florida, where he was investigating the bovine endometrial response to components in semen. Jason’s current research has moved further beyond the effect of semen deposition on reproduction, and now focuses on how male factors influence bovine placenta formation. Jason's research delves further into how paternal effects can lead to early embryo mortality in cattle, and how we can better identify this in industry.