New applications for bovine IVP technology: from ‘single oocyte culture’ to toxicity screening

Bovine in vitro embryo production (IVP) has been around for about three decades. Over the years, it has gained a reputation as one of the most applicable of the high-tech bovine assisted reproduction techniques. It is well known that its ups and downs are basically driven by economic imperatives depending on the agricultural system in which it is used. In parallel, there has always been a strong interest in the bovine embryo as an in vitro model for basic research purposes. This mini-review focuses on a few more recent applications of bovine IVP that can be useful for both cattle breeding business and research purposes, namely the development of a single oocyte culture system and, as an example, its possible use as a toxicity screening tool.