If you are up to date with science-related news, then you would probably be aware that embryo transplantation has been around for a long time. It has also been used in a wide variety of life-sciences fields, such as human health and livestock improvement. In general, embryo transplant technology involves the process of transplanting a living embryo from a donor to a recipient. The donor might be a surrogate mother or even a frozen stock of embryos; the recipient may be a related species, or it might not even be related to the embryo species at all.

The technique of embryo transplantation is useful for a good many reasons. First, some recipient animals may be too delicate to support life in its early stages, so that a donor animal or a frozen embryo is first grown in order to nourish the embryo and keep the potential mother from miscarrying it. Second, some recipient animals may not have the ability to conceive, which is why embryo transplantation is popular and done often in humans. Third, some recipient animals may refuse to mate, or there might not be enough able, virile males in a population to support a larger population of younger females. This makes embryo transplantation an important tool in wildlife conservation, where male reproductive cells are frozen or kept in storage, and “conception” is done in a laboratory environment.

The Different Tools for Embryo Transfer

There are many different tools that a scientist will need in order to carry out embryo transfer. The process itself is laborious and requires a good set of hands; moreover, the process is delicate, in that it can result in the death of the embryo if it is not carried out well. Before getting into the different kinds of tools, it would be helpful to know how embryo transfer can be done.

There are two general methods that scientists use in embryo transfer: the first involves surgery, where the embryo is transferred from donor to recipient by implantation into the uterus. To do this, a doctor or  livestock scientist has to create an incision in the animal’s vaginal area, using a cut long enough to reach down into part of the cervix. This is to ensure that the area for good implantation is exposed well enough in order to make embryo implantation more effective and efficient. To carry this out, knowledge in and tools of basic surgery are required. This means that doctors or veterinarians need to have basic surgical tools, such as scalpels and forceps, on hand and sterilized.

Another method does not involve surgery, and involves the use of a catheter. This catheter, or thin tube, is now gaining popularity for its usefulness in animal husbandry and veterinary embryo transfer. The catheter is a thin and flexible rod, and the embryos are passed through this tube as they are suspended in a liquid. This is safer and more convenient especially for delicate animals, or if scientists are working on husbandry for threatened or endangered species. The tools for this technique are the catheter, as well as laboratory glassware or plastic wares that go into creating the suspension in which the embryos are placed.

Before all these techniques can be carried out, however, the embryos have to be suitable for transfer: they need to be healthy, free from deformities or health issues, and strong enough to withstand the potential stress that comes from being transferred physically from laboratory or donor and into the recipient. In order to ensure embryonic integrity, an embryo transfer microscope is required.

The Embryo Transfer Microscope

An embryo transfer microscope is useful for veterinarians especially, who need to check on the state of embryos, or who need to carry out artificial insemination. In the past, artificial insemination – or “conception in a test tube” – was carried out blindly; that is, it was difficult to see if the conception was carried out successfully. A microscope, with the best magnification to check on embryos, can better verify if the embryo is living and healthy.

An embryo transfer microscope can be binocular or even trinocular – the third objective can be used to install a camera that can be used to take footage of artificial insemination taking place, or to take pictures of embryos. This makes the embryo transfer microscope an invaluable tool for scientists, doctors, and veterinarians because it can allow for documentation, which many scientists need for presenting at conferences; and it can allow for better viewing of a routine technique in progress, which can be advantageous especially for teaching purposes.

These are only a few tools that are used in embryo transfer. As the technology expands and develops, there will be more tools available, and better tools for future scientists, doctors, and livestock specialists. For more information, read about embryo transfer and how the technology is advancing in today’s life sciences. Read the entire article