An updated protocol for in vitro bovine embryo production

Cattle embryos represent a useful model for understanding parts of human embryogenesis due to various biological similarities. We describe a protocol to mature and fertilize bovine oocytes followed by culture of resulting presumptive zygotes up until the blastocyst stage. Our protocol features a unique procedure for washing and moving oocytes and zygotes between their respective dishes using a cell strainer. A thorough troubleshooting section will help users optimize embryo development with cleavage and blastocyst rates exceeding 70% and 20%, respectively. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wooldridge and Ealy (2019).1.