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Uhlmannsiek L, Shen H, Eylers H, Martinsson G, Sieme H, Wolkers WF, Oldenhof H. Preserving frozen stallion sperm on dry ice using polymers that modulate ice crystalization kinetics. Cryobiology 2024; 114:104852. [PMID: 38295927 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Cryopreserved semen is routinely shipped in liquid nitrogen. Dry ice could serve as an alternative coolant, however, frozen storage above liquid nitrogen temperatures (LN2, -196 °C) may negatively affect shelf-life and cryosurvival. In this study, we determined critical temperatures for storage of cryopreserved stallion sperm. We evaluated: (i) effects of cooling samples to different subzero temperatures (-10 °C to -80 °C) prior to storing in LN2, (ii) stability at different storage temperatures (i.e., in LN2, dry ice, -80 °C and -20 °C freezers, 5 °C refrigerator), and (iii) sperm cryosurvival during storage on dry ice (i.e., when kept below -70 °C and during warming). Furthermore, (iv) we analyzed if addition of synthetic polymers (PVP-40, Ficoll-70) modulates ice crystallization kinetics and improves stability of cryopreserved specimens. Sperm motility and membrane intactness were taken as measures of cryosurvival, and an artificial insemination trial was performed to confirm fertilizing capacity. We found that adding PVP-40 or Ficoll-70 to formulations containing glycerol reduced ice crystal sizes and growth during annealing. Post-thaw sperm viability data indicated that samples need to be cooled below -40 °C before they can be safely plunged and stored in LN2. No negative effects of relocating specimens from dry ice to LN2 and vice versa became apparent. However, sample warming above -50 °C during transport in dry ice should be avoided to ensure preservation of viability and fertility. Moreover, addition of PVP-40 or Ficoll-70 was found to increase sperm cryosurvival, especially under non-ideal storage conditions where ice recrystallization may occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Uhlmannsiek
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine - Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; National Stud of Lower Saxony, Celle, Germany
| | - Hang Shen
- Biostabilization Laboratory - Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heinke Eylers
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine - Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Harald Sieme
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine - Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Willem F Wolkers
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine - Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Biostabilization Laboratory - Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, Hannover, Germany
| | - Harriëtte Oldenhof
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine - Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Biostabilization Laboratory - Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, Hannover, Germany.
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El-Shalofy A, Gautier C, Khan Y, Aurich J, Aurich C. Shipping duration and temperature influence the characteristics of cryopreserved horse semen stored in different shipping devices for up to 14 days. Anim Reprod Sci 2023; 256:107307. [PMID: 37499284 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2023.107307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of storing horse semen either in a dry shipper (≤ -150 °C) or on dry ice (≤ -78 °C) for up to 14 days. A total of 264 frozen semen straws from male horses (n = 8) stored in liquid nitrogen were transferred on day 0 (d0) to a dry shipper or a dry ice styrofoam box. On d1, d3, d7, d10, and d14, straws from the dry shipper and dry ice were returned to the liquid nitrogen container. Semen was evaluated by CASA for total (TMot), progressive motility (PMot) and sperm velocity parameters, by fluorescence microscopy for percentage of membrane-intact sperm (SYBR14/PI), high mitochondrial membrane potential (HMMP; JC1) and DNA fragmentation. Temperature inside the containers was monitored continuously. Until d7, no changes were observed in TMot, PMot, and membrane-intact spermatozoa. Thereafter, all three parameters decreased in semen stored on dry ice but not in a dry shipper (time p < 0.001, time x shipping device p < 0.001). The HMMP decreased continuously over time in both containers with a more pronounced decrease on dry ice compared to the dry shipper (shipping device p < 0.01, time p < 0.001, time x device p < 0.001). The DNA fragmentation increased on d10-14 on dry ice and d14 in the dry shipper (time p < 0.001, time x device p < 0.01). In conclusion, frozen horse semen can be safely stored for up to 7 days on dry ice. Sperm DNA integrity and HMMP, however, were adversely affected after 14 days in both shipping devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr El-Shalofy
- Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; Theriogenology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Camille Gautier
- Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Younis Khan
- Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Aurich
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Aurich
- Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Utthiya S, Wonnapinij P, Napaumpaiporn P, Kittiwongwattana C, Sakulkoo J, Suttangkakul A, Vuttipongchaikij S. Gel purification of gDNA for next-generation sequencing applications. Biotechniques 2022; 73:99-103. [PMID: 35950336 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2022-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We demonstrate that gDNA can be conveniently and efficiently isolated and purified using standard agarose gel electrophoresis, band excision and gel purification. This method yields a substantial amount at microgram levels of gDNA per gel cleanup with high purity. An RNase A treatment step can be omitted. The quality of gDNA is suitable for next-generation sequencing, resulting in >10 Mb reads and high-quality read data (Phred score >28 up to 100 of 150 base reads). Furthermore, the gDNA can be kept intact in a gel slice for several days. This method has been tested for dictyostelids, bacteria and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supanut Utthiya
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Passorn Wonnapinij
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.,Center of Advanced studies for Tropical Natural Resources, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.,Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food & Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Pondpan Napaumpaiporn
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Chokchai Kittiwongwattana
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, 10520, Thailand
| | - Jenjira Sakulkoo
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Anongpat Suttangkakul
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.,Center of Advanced studies for Tropical Natural Resources, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.,Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food & Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Supachai Vuttipongchaikij
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.,Center of Advanced studies for Tropical Natural Resources, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.,Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food & Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
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Ong JW, Song Z, Abid HA, Lin ES, Liew OW, Ng TW. Cryoprotectant-free preservation of bacteria using semi-spherical drops. Cryobiology 2021; 104:98-101. [PMID: 34838822 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.11.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cryopreservation is a widely used long-term preservation method to ensure the quality and vitality of microbes in laboratories and biological resource facilities. However, freeze-thaw damage and osmotic pressure changes during cryopreservation adversely impacts microbial survival. Significant expenditure of resources and expertise are required to select the right cryoprotectant and optimize its concentration for maximum survival of diverse microorganisms. This work describes a cryopreservation method that obviates the need for cryoprotectants by exploiting the unique thermal characteristics of semi-spherical drops. Here, a plurality of these drops, each 10 μl in volume, created on a highly non-wetting flat-sheet substrate with holes and frozen at -70 °C. Deriving an f (x) metric as a measure of relative viability, storage in drops in the absence of cryoprotectants was found to improve the survivability of Staphylococcus epidermidis by 1.91 times compared with the same sample stored in larger 50-μl volumes in standard 1.5-ml tubes. This also compares well with a value of 2.33 obtained with standard preservation with cryoprotectant. The drop method allows high throughput aliquoting of the bacterial culture into multiple discrete drops using multichannel pipettes or automated liquid handlers and the edges of the holes provides a pinning action that holds the drop stably against gravitational roll-offs. It also allows samples to be removed in discrete small volumes, thus, reducing the number of freeze thaw cycles and associated cell damage. The flat-sheet architecture of the substrate reduces the amount of plastic waste generated and augments green laboratory practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Wern Ong
- Laboratory for Optics and Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Zhixiong Song
- Laboratory for Optics and Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Hassan Ali Abid
- Laboratory for Optics and Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Eric Shen Lin
- Laboratory for Optics and Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Oi Wah Liew
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Centre for Translational Medicine, 14 Medical Drive, 117599, Singapore
| | - Tuck Wah Ng
- Laboratory for Optics and Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
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Carminati M, Scandurra G. Impact and trends in embedding field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers in scientific instrumentation. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:091501. [PMID: 34598486 DOI: 10.1063/5.0050999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microcontrollers and field-programmable gate arrays have been largely leveraged in scientific instrumentation since decades. Recent advancements in the performance of these programmable digital devices, with hundreds of I/O pins, up to millions of logic cells, >10 Gb/s connectivity, and hundreds of MHz multiple clocks, have been accelerating this trend, extending the range of functions. The diversification of devices from very low-cost 8-bit microcontrollers up to 32-bit ARM-based ones and a system of chip combining programmable logic with processors make them ubiquitous in modern electronic systems, addressing diverse challenges from ultra-low power operation, with sub-µA quiescent current in sleep mode for portable and Internet of Things applications, to high-performance computing, such as in machine vision. In this Review, the main motivations (compactness, re-configurability, parallelization, low latency for sub-ns timing, and real-time control), the possible approaches of the adoption of embedded devices, and the achievable performances are discussed. Relevant examples of applications in opto-electronics, physics experiments, impedance, vibration, and temperature sensing from the recent literature are also reviewed. From this bird-eye view, key paradigms emerge, such as the blurring of boundaries between digital platforms and the pervasiveness of machine learning algorithms, significantly fostered by the possibility to be run in embedded devices for distributing intelligence in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Carminati
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - G Scandurra
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Messina, Messina 98166, Italy
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