Traceability of human sperm samples by direct tagging with polysilicon microbarcodes
Sergi Novo1, Inmaculada Mora-Espí1, Rodrigo Gómez-Martínez2
1Departament de Biologia Cel⋅lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
Reproductive Biomedicine Online
|June 23, 2015
Summary
Microbarcodes can now tag human sperm samples, enhancing traceability in assisted reproductive technology (ART). This method is non-toxic and does not impact sperm quality or reproductive success in animal models.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Biotechnology
- Medical traceability
Background:
- Assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles are increasing, leading to potential traceability errors.
- Minimizing errors in ART is critical, with strategies like manual and electronic witnessing systems in place.
- Previous work developed microbarcode tagging for human oocytes and embryos.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend microbarcode tagging to human semen samples.
- To assess the non-toxicity and impact of microbarcodes on sperm motility and cryopreservation.
- To evaluate the efficacy of microbarcode tagging in an animal model.
Main Methods:
- Human semen samples were tagged with microbarcodes.
- Toxicity, sperm motility, and cryopreservation of tagged sperm were assessed.
- The microbarcode tagging system was applied to a rabbit model for reproductive studies.
Main Results:
- Microbarcodes were successfully applied to human semen samples.
- The tagging process was found to be non-toxic and did not affect sperm motility or cryopreservation.
- In rabbits, microbarcode tagging did not negatively impact pregnancy rates or kitten viability.
Conclusions:
- Microbarcode tagging is a viable and safe method for human semen samples.
- This technology offers a promising solution for improving traceability in ART.
- The system demonstrates safety and efficacy in both human samples and an animal model.
