An improvement in avian semen cryopreservation is essential and has the potential to improve the cryo-gene banking efficiency. This study compared two cryopreservation methods (slow freezing and vitrification) and the effect of different thawing/warming temperatures (5 ̊C, 25 ̊C and 41 ̊C) on Venda cockerel’s spermatozoa. Semen samples from Venda cockerels were diluted with modified Kobidil extend...

BACKGROUND Human mature oocytes are very susceptible to cryodamage. Several reports demonstrated that vitrification might preserve oocyte better than slow freezing. However, this is still controversial. Thus, larger clinical, biological and experimental trials to confirm this concept are necessary. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare fine morphological features in human mature oocy...

The freezing of aqueous solutions and reciprocal distribution of ice and a freeze-concentrated solution (FCS) are poorly understood in spite of their importance in fields ranging from biotechnology and life sciences to geophysics and climate change. Using an optical cryo-microscope and differential scanning calorimetry, we demonstrate that upon cooling of citric acid and sucrose solutions a fas...

BACKGROUND The technique of freezing oocytes is still not widely used. Reasons cited for this include the technique's low efficacy and the risk of aneuploidy. However, the introduction of technical changes (the type and concentration of cryoprotective substances; slow freezing and rapid thawing; and fertilization by ICSI) has led to improved results. We present four pregnancies obtained using m...

BACKGROUND Various approaches have been utilized in attempting to cryopreserve oocytes, beginning with slow cooling and more recently the advent of technique of vitrification. Now it seems that oocyte cryopreservation is no longer an experimental technique and it is being increasingly utilized in clinics around the world. As successful outcome in oocyte cryopreservation can be assessed by survi...

The objectives of this study were to identify an improved in vitro cell-free embryo culture system and to compare post-warming development of in vitro produced (IVP) bovine embryos following vitrification versus slow freezing. In Experiment 1, non-selected presumptive zygotes were randomly allocated to four medium treatments without co-culture: (1) SOF + 5% FCS for 9 days; (2) KSOM + 0.1% BSA f...