Immunological semen sexing technology: Present status and future perspective

Abstract

Dairy farming in India is facing extreme challenges of high feed costs, shortage of green fodder, low milk productivity of the native breeds, and the burden of raising surplus male calves that have little economic value. One promising solution is the use of sexed semen, which can ensure the birth of mostly female calves from elite high-milk-yielding bulls. This would lower the cost of milk production by avoiding the expenses of rearing unproductive male calves. At present, the only widely used technique for separating male and female sperm is flow cytometry; but it is expensive, time-consuming, and often damages sperm, leading to poor conception rates. As an alternative, researchers are now exploring immunological sex sorting, a simpler and more affordable technique. In this approach, antibodies that recognise differences on the surface of male or female sperm are attached to beads, which selectively trap one sperm type while leaving the other free. Because it is faster, cheaper, and gentler on sperm, immunological sex sorting has the potential to revolutionise cattle breeding and help farmers produce more milk at lower cost.