CVMBS - ERL Information - Colorado State University

Picture of Dr. McCue with a student

Graduate Program in Equine Reproduction

The Equine Reproduction Laboratory at Colorado State University has established an international reputation as a leader in research and development of assisted equine reproduction technologies. Many of the techniques and procedures developed by the ERL are now in use commercially worldwide. Notable "firsts" include:

Techniques for recovery and transfer of equine embryos
Shipping of cooled embryos -- this technique allows embryos to be collected on the farm and shipped by air to Colorado State for transfer into recipient mares.
Freezing embryos -- the Equine Reproduction Lab was the first to produce live foals from frozen-thawed embryos in the U.S.
Identical twins -- Colorado State produced the first live foals from the bisection of a day-6 equine embryo. The resulting halves were then transferred into 2 separate mares who produced healthy male foals.
Test tube horse -- Colorado State was the first to produce a foal by injecting a single sperm into an unfertilized egg.
Gamete intrafallopian tube (GIFT) transfers -- this technique involves collecting an egg from a valuable donor mare and transferring that egg into a recipient, then breeding the recipient to produce a foal.
First pregnancy from insemination of a mare with sexed semen. In this technique, semen is sorted into X- and Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa. A mare was inseminated with X-chromosome-bearing sperm to result in birth of a healthy female foal.

Faculty of the ERL seek well-qualified, talented students. Three types of educational programs are available: Master's degree program, Doctoral degree program, Postdoctoral program. Accepted students receive support from a variety of sources and have the opportunity to conduct original research with highly qualified faculty in world-class research facilities.

ERL Faculty: