PFI-TT: A new test for male fertility based on sperm neck structures

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is developing a male fertility test that could robustly identify a previously undiagnosable cause of infertility in unexplainable cases with current technology. The current standard method for identifying male-factor infertility is a semen analysis, but the high incidence of unexplained male infertility suggests that semen analysis is insufficient for diagnosing causes of male infertility. This new technology is expected to provide infertile human patients with information to help them achieve parenthood. Additionally, using the new technology should help reduce artificial insemination costs for cattle farmers because the commercial suppliers of cattle sperm will have another method of testing sperm quality before it is used in the field. Furthermore, with a diagnostic test, it would be possible to develop treatments to directly improve sperm quality without using assisted reproductive technology. The proposed project builds upon recent studies demonstrating that assessing a sperm neck structure, called the centriole, could robustly identify male infertility. This PFI project is aimed at translating this assessment technology into a cost-effective prototype. The main goals of the proposed research are as follows: (I) To develop a kit and simplify testing by shortening the staining procedure, generate antibodies that label their targets directly, and find a way to utilize a more cost-effective model of fluorescent microscopy. (II) To generate automated software for analyzing sperm centriole images that would indicate the poor centriole quality associated with infertility. The pathway to commercialization includes completing the patent application and licensing the technology to an existing company. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.