“Fertility preservation: From stallion spermatozoa to rhinoceros oocytes” (Dr Aleona Swegen, NDWRH)

The first recorded instance of artificial insemination (AI), incidentally in the horse, dates back to 1322 and the intriguing story of an Arab sheikh and his rival’s superior stallion. Scientists have been working on improving AI and sperm preservation techniques ever since. Preservation of both male and female gametes can alleviate infertility, improve livestock genetics, and even save endangered species. In this seminar I will discuss some of my previous work with the horse breeding industry in Australia, using molecular strategies to solve clinical problems, and introduce our new project at NDWRH looking at preserving female fertility in the critically endangered rhinoceros.