In ovo activation of an egg in the shell

• US 20070261128A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Wooten, Tim Cantrell
• Original Assignee: Andrew Wooten, Tim Cantrell
• Inventors: Cantrell, Tim, Wooten, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/24
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 45/007 Injecting or otherwise treating hatching eggs
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/02 Breeding vertebrates
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 19/00 Instruments or methods for reproduction or fertilisation

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of avian reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides a method of activating an egg in a shell. The invention also provides a method of activating an egg in a shell, whereby a live chick is hatched.

Claims

1-87. -87. (canceled)

88. A method of producing a live chick from an oviposited unfertilized avian egg in the shell, wherein the live chick contains heterologous nucleic acid, wherein the egg comprises a yolk enclosed by a membrane and an ovum, wherein the method comprises:

activating the ovum;

introducing heterologous nucleic acid into the egg; and

incubating the egg until hatching.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes a pharmaceutical protein, an antigen, a hormone or an antibody.

90. The method of claim 88, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid comprises Avian Leukemia Virus-derived transducing particles.

91. The method of claim 88, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes a protein.

92. The method of claim 88, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid is stably integrated into the avian genome.

93. A method of producing a live chick from an oviposited unfertilized avian egg in the shell, wherein the live chick contains heterologous nucleic acid, wherein the egg comprises a yolk enclosed by a membrane and an ovum, wherein the method comprises:

activating the ovum by delivering a sperm sample comprising avian sperm in a physiologically acceptable carrier into the egg;

introducing heterologous nucleic acid into the egg; and

incubating the egg until hatching.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes a pharmaceutical protein, an antigen, a hormone or an antibody.

95. The method of claim 93, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid comprises Avian Leukemia Virus-derived transducing particles.

96. The method of claim 93, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes a protein.

97. The method of claim 93, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid is stably integrated into the avian genome.

98. A system for fertilizing an oviposited unfertilized avian egg in the shell, wherein the egg comprises a yolk enclosed by a membrane and an ovum, the system comprising:

means for receiving a volume of sperm sample and calculating the number of sperm cells in the sperm sample;

a processor, wherein the processor is configured for determining an optimal volume of diluent to be added to the sperm sample based at least in part on the calculated number of sperm cells;

a fluid dispensing mechanism, wherein the fluid dispensing mechanism dispenses a substantially equivalent amount of the optimal volume of diluent into the sperm sample to form a diluted sperm sample; and

an egg injection mechanism, wherein the egg injection mechanism is configured for delivering a predetermined amount of the diluted sperm sample into the unfertilized avian egg.

99. The system of claim 98, wherein the calculating means comprises an integrated spectrophotometer.

100. The system of claim 98, wherein the calculating means comprises a flow cytometer.

101. The system of claim 98, wherein the egg injection mechanism comprises means for perforating the egg shell and means for injecting the predetermined amount of the diluted sperm sample into the egg.

102. The system of claim 98, wherein the egg injection mechanism is configured to deliver the predetermined amount of the diluted sperm sample at a predetermined depth within the egg.

103. The system of claim 98, wherein the egg injection mechanism is configured to deliver the predetermined amount of the diluted sperm sample at a predetermined angle into the egg relative to the surface of the egg shell.

104. The system of claim 98, wherein the egg injection mechanism comprises means for introducing a heterologous nucleus into the egg and means for rendering ineffective a native nucleus of the egg prior to delivering the predetermined amount of the diluted sperm sample into the unfertilized avian egg.

105. The system of claim 104, wherein the means for rendering ineffective the native nucleus comprises a micropipette.

106. The system of claim 104, wherein the means for rendering ineffective the native nucleus comprises a laser.

107. The system of claim 98, wherein the optimal volume of diluent is approximately equal to the volume of the sperm sample.