Measurement of Oxygen Consumption of Biopsied Bovine Embryos using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Biopsied bovine embryos were evaluated based on oxygen consumption rate, as measured by scanning electrochemical microscopy. The biopsy procedure was found to decrease the oxygen consumption rate of the bovine embryos, and in some cases, caused a marked decrease. Biopsied embryos that showed oxygen consumption rates of above 1.0×10−14 mol·S−1 at 24 h after continuous cultivation exhibited excellent tolerance to the freeze-thawing process. Scanning electrochemical microscopy is considered feasible as a tool for classifying biopsied embryos, and it may facilitate the establishment of a technique for selecting the sex of calves.