PIC opens new swine AI laboratory near Bedford, UK

The novel laboratory offers scientists to work with boar semen and investigate and compare data without actually physically having to be on a boar stud.

 

The genetics supplier has five boar studs throughout the UK and biosecurity is one of their main features. For that reason, it was emphasised at the laboratory’s official opening on Tuesday, the boar studs have always on purpose been located in regions where the pigs are not.

 

 

In addition, visitors could never pay a visit to any PIC boar studs. Welcoming feedback from customers, however, the new laboratory now offers this opportunity as there is semen but no animals at the new site.

 

The breeding company already started to move in to its new home about a year ago, but it lasted until this week until all equipment had been properly installed and prepared. The new laboratory has several high-tech and modern equipment, like e.g.:

- Flow cytometer (simultaneous analysis of physical and chemical properties of sperm cells)

- Hamilton Thorn – IVOS (measuring sperm motility)

- Fluorescence microscope (measuring live and dead sperm cells, the morphology of live sperm and capacitation status)

- Nucleo Counter SP-100 (measuring sperm cell concentration)

- Individual training microscopes

- Training microscope

 

Colworth Science Park's The Exchange building, where the PIC lab is located.

 

Apart from a testing laboratory, the new home also houses a centre for pig semen distribution for the whole of the UK. “About the life of 80,000 pigs per week starts here,” it was explained. Total investment costs of the laboratory amounted to £140,000 (€168,000).

 

The official opening was carried out by PIC’s UK manager Sue Corning and Andrew Saunders, Tulip, by revealing a heavy bronze pig head statue.

 

Speakers included Corning herself, briefly reminding the audience of the importance of artificial insemination on modern pig production.

 

Veterinarian and livestock semen expert Stuart Revell then explained what it takes to be successful semen – and explained in detail what can go wrong during semen production, what challenges semen meets on its journey through the ovaries – and how sperm cells can work together to become more efficient.

 

Steve Furniss, PIC UK, explained briefly what kinds of research one could think of in the new laboratory. The centre’s mission he described as “The gathering of such sophisticated equipment in one location for the purpose of research and development in porcine semen offers the UK Pig Industry a unique opportunity to improve fertility.”

 

Furniss also introduced some trial proposals. First research outcomes focused on the effects of AI dose increase, pooling semen and the effect of semen age.

 

The Colworth Science Park has originally been set up by multinational food company Unilever, but it facilitates other companies in the business too. Unilever is predominantly doing icecream related research at the science park.