Partnerships with professional organizations

For many years, the BREED unit has maintained a partnership with Allice for the development of its research into reproductive biotechnologies and dairy cow fertility.

ALLICE is a professional livestock organization representing the bovine, caprine, ovine and porcine insemination sectors. Three ALLICE engineers work in the BREED unit.

More recently, we have developed a joint laboratory (Labcom Sequamol) with the aim of improving semen selection in cattle, in particular through high-throughput epigenetic approaches. The joint laboratory brings together members of the BREED unit and ALLICE. The aim is to characterize new biomarkers enabling semen to be qualified at the level of each ejaculate.

This collaboration has also enabled us to perfect nuclear transfer techniques in ruminants and to develop early gestation diagnosis in cattle.

http://www.allice.fr/

Two new collaborative projects funded by GIS Apis-Gene will get underway in 2017: Embryomimétisme, which aims to optimize in vitro embryo production through biomimicry, drawing inspiration from the natural microenvironment of the pre-ovulatory follicle and post-ovulatory oviductal fluid ; and Germimâle, dedicated to the epigenetic reprogramming of male germ cells in ruminants, a process essential for the production of functional spermatozoa and the transmission of paternal genetic heritage to offspring.

http://www.apis-gene.com/

Projects are also being developed for the equine species, in collaboration with the French Horse and Riding Institute (IFCE). They focus on the impact of maternal nutrition on foal health (Foetalim project).

http://www.ifce.fr/

Private partnerships

In the field of breeding and the impact of feed on phenotype, the BREED unit is developing partnerships with the Pilardière group (http://www.pilardiere.eu/fr/) and the Codélia cooperative (http://www.codelia.fr/). The GenEpi project focuses on the identification in circulating cells of methylation marks associated with the physiological state of dairy cows in the post-partum period, and has also been awarded a CIFRE thesis grant (2014-2017).

By combining several experimental protocols carried out in three INRA experimental units (UCEA de Bressonvilliers, Méjusseaume, Theix), we are analyzing the impact of different factors (nutrition: restriction versus several types of feed supplements, including the GENIAL supplement marketed by the partners; breeding management; energy status) on DNA methylation and phenotype (milk quality, response to an inflammatory challenge, fertility).

Development of animal models to test the impact of antioxidant-rich dietary supplements on fertility, embryo implantation and pre- and post-natal development (STEIRNON www.stiernon.be/)

Finally, given the unit's involvement in reproductive biotechnologies, we have established collaborations with various companies or academic laboratories for the creation of transgenic animal models [Obetherapy (Evry France), Stanford Research Institute (Ca USA), Centre de Cardiologie (Freiburg University), INSERM UMR866 (Dijon), Vaincre la Mucovicidose, Xenothera - INSERM (Nantes)].