
Biotechnology Research Programme
Biotechnology Research Programme

BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Efficient reproduction is of the utmost importance for sustainable improvement of animal productivity and is a critical factor influencing the economic viability of livestock farmers
- Low fertility is one of the primary constraints hindering the effectiveness of livestock production in developing countries.
- This could be due to Nutrition, Disease or Physiological problems.
This forms the Research thrust of the Programme.
RESEARCH THRUST
- REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
- NUTRITION- REPRODUCTION INTERACTIONS
- DISEASES AND REPRODUCTION INTERACTION
- BIOTECHNOLOGY
UMBRELLA RESEARCH PROTOCOLS
THEME 1: REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
Sub-themes:
- Pubertal studies.
- Post-partum physiology.
- Environmental studies.
- Reproductive behaviour (Male & Female).
THEME 2: NUTRITION AND REPRODUCTION INTERACTION
Sub-themes:
- Role of micro-nutrients in
- Protein supplementation on reproduction.
- The role of vitamins on reproduction.
- Development of strategies for the improvement of reproductive efficiency in agro-pastoral systems.
THEME 3: DISEASES AND REPRODUCTION INTERACTION
Sub-themes: 1. Studies on abortificient agents.
- Effect of diseases on reproduction.
- The use of ethnoveterinary natural products on reproductive
Diseases.
THEME 4: BIOTECHNOLOGY
Sub-themes: 1. Multiple ovulation and embryo transfer.
- In-vitro fertilization.
- Improvement of reproductive efficiency through the use of synchronizing agents and hormones.
- Evaluation of different laboratory techniques.
- Semen evaluation, sexing, processing and storage.
COMPLETED STUDIES IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF REPRODUCTIVE BIOTECHNOLOGY
Studies on Nutrition- Reproduction Interaction for improvement of Livestock production
- the development and dissemination of cost-effective and sustainable feed supplementation packages which are based on locally available feed resources
- The effect of plane of nutrition on puberty, semen characteristics of Bunaji and Friesian. Bunaji bulls.
- The effect of feeding two levels of protein on semen characteristics of Friesian x Bunaji cross bred and Bunaji bulls.
- The effect of protein intake on body weight, scrotal circumference and semen production of Bunaji bulls and their Friesian crosses in Nigeria.
- Serum biochemical components of Zebu bulls and their Friesian crosses fed two planes of protein.
- Blood levels of testosterone in Zebu bulls during the peripubertal period.
- The effects of feed restriction and realimentation on growth and reproductive function of Bokoloji bulls.
- Testosterone Profiles, Semen Characteristics And Gonadal Sperm Reserves Of Yankassa Rams Fed Graded Levels Of Protein
- Semen Characteristics, Gonadal And Epidydimal Sperm Reserve, Heamatological Parameters, Serum Testosterone, Electrolytes And Total Proteins Profile In Nigerian Donkeys.
- Hormonal Profiles Of Indigenous Jennies During The Post Partum Period.
- Estrus Behavioural Patterns And Hormonal Changes During The Estrous Cycle Of Indigenous Jennie
Reproductive Physiology
These studies have aimed at decreasing:
- the age at attaining puberty and first parturition,
- interval from parturition to conception,
- Calving/Lambing interval
- increasing conception rate, litter size, and productive life
- peri-parturient mortality
are the key targets and crucial factors in improving livestock productivity.
Studies to this effect include;
- Effects of bull exposure on onset of puberty in Bunaji and Friesian x Bunaji cross heifers.
- The influence of bull biostimulation and season on puberty and post-partum ovarian function in cattle.
- Plasma progesterone concentrations during the estrus cycle and following fertile and non-fertile inseminations of Zebu heifers.
- The effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin on the fertility rates of artificial insemination Zebu cows.
- Onset of puberty and estrous cycle phenomena in Yankasa ewes as monitored by plasma progesterone concentrations.
- Ovulation rate response of Yankasa ewes to pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin.
- Effect of PMSG with or without HCG on time of estrus, ovulation rate and progesterone concentrations of progestagen-treated Yankasa ewes.
- Effect of time of gonadotrophin releasing hormone injection on ovulation rates in Yankasa sheep.
- Effect of time of gonadotrophin releasing hormone injection on ovulation rates in Yankasa sheep.
- Ovarian function and timing of ovulation in Yankasa ewes.
- Fertility rates and hormone concetration of Yankasa ewes treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG).
- Behavioural estrus in Bunaji and Sokoto Gudali cows following indication of estrus with prostagladinF2 alpha.
- Peripheral plasma progesterone levels in Bunaji and Sokoto Gudali (Zebu) cows after synchronization of estrus with prostagladinF2 alpha.
- Influence of management and season of breeding on pregnancy rate of Zebu cattle in an artificial insemination programme.
- Fertility rates of indigenous Nigerian cattle to artificial insemination synchronization estrus with prostagladinF2 alpha.
- Determination of optimum time for fixed-time artificial insemination.
- Effect of inter-treatment interval and of the stage of the oestrus cycle on ostrus response of Nigeria Zebu cows to prostagladinF2 alpha and injection.
- Pregnancy diagnosis in animals.
- Determination of embryonic mortality rate in artificially inseimanted zebu cattle following treatment with prostagladinF2 alpha.
- Oestrus response and fertility following synchronization with PRID.
- Determination of the incidence of late embryonic mortality (LEM) rate and repeat breeder (RB) syndrome rate in artificially inseminated Bunaji cows following oestrus synchronization.
- Intervals between calving and resumption of ovarian activities in Bunaji cattle.
- Uterine involution and bacteriological investigations of the postpartum uterus of suckled and non-suckled cows.
- Pregnancy rate of suckled and non-suckled cows as determined by rectal palpation.
- Induction of ovulation in suckled Bunaji cows.
- Determination of the interval from estrus to the pre-ovulation surge of lutenizing hormone (LH) and ovulation in Bunaji cattle.
- Postpartum reproductive activities of Bunaji cows under different pastoral management systems.
- Postpartum reproductive activities of the red Sokoto goats under a native farming systems.
- Postpartum reproductive activities of the Yankasa sheep under native farming system.
- Effect of pre-partum supplementation on postpartum reproductive activities of Bunaji cows.
- Serum progesterone concentration during the oestrus cycle and gestation in Bunaji cows.
- Diagnosis of early pregnancy, early embryonic death and silent estrus using semen with progesterone concentration in Bunaji (Zebu) cows.
- Interval between calving and first observable oestrus in postpartum Bunaji cows.
- Serum progesterone profiles during the postpartum period in indigenous zebu cows.
- Incidence of silent estrus in postpartum Bunaji cows.
- Inverse relationship between skim milk progesterone profile and somatic cell counts in Bunaji zebu cows.
- Manifestation and detection of estrus in Bunaji and Sokoto Gudali cows.
- Normal ovulation rates and embryo survival and litter size of indigenous sheep and goats as determined from abattoir and field studies.
Biotechnology
- use of modern reproductive techniques to bring about sustainable increases in animal productivity
Reproductive hormones monitoring using RIA and ELISA techniques have provided a better understanding of the reproductive physiology of livestock species
- identification and amelioration of limiting factors affecting reproductive efficiency,
- provision of diagnostic tools to ensure proper AI timing and to monitor ovarian cyclicity,
- identification of anoestrus and non-pregnant females.
- improve efficiency of inseminators,
- minimize human errors in heat detection
- determine fertility of sires.
- Study the efficacy of progestagens for estrous synchronization and the effects of various gonadotrophin treatments on ovulation and pregnancy rates in livestock.
- Development of Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) procedures for detection of antibodies to infections with Trypanosoma species and Brucella abortus in livestock
Diseases and Reproduction interaction
- Disruption of eostrus and conception in the acute phase of Fasciola gigantica infections in Yankasa ewes
- The Pathology observed in Yankasa sheep with Fasciola gigantica infections.
- Reproductive effects of experimental Fasciola gigantica infection in Yankasa ewes during first trimester of pregnancy.
- The Reproductive Performance of Sheep carrying Natural Infections of Gastro-Intestinal Nematodes
- Gonadal and Extragonadal Sperm Reserves of Yankasa Rams Experimentally Infected with Fasciola gigantica in Zaria, Nigeria.
- Interrelationship between Fasciola Eggs Count, Haematological Parameters, Liver and Testicular Pathology of Yankasa Rams Experimentally Infected with Fasciola gigntica in Zaria, Nigeria
- Survey of ethnoveterinary practices in Nigeria.
- Brucellosis in sheep and goats: Serological and bacteriological study.
- Bacteriological, serological and biotyping of bovine brucellae from Livestock Investigation and Breeding Centres (LIBC).
- Serological study of brucellosis in local fowls in northern Nigeria.
- Immunological response of zebu calves to S.19 Brucella vaccination.
- Milk borne pathogens from milk and milk products.
- Semen bacterial flora of Rhode Island Breeder cocks from a farm in Zaria.
New areas of Research:
APPLIED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
- Recombinant DNA research and gene mapping
- Methods of DNA sequencING
- Transfer of cloned DNA
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Vaccine biotechnology
- Bioinformatics
- Animal genomics
- Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer
- Semen quality evaluation and fertilizability
- Cryo preservation of Spermatozoa, Oocytes and Embryos
- Embryo cloning and Somatic cell cloning
- Sperm sex sorting
- Selection for Disease resistant Livestock