The overall goal in Phase I is to develop a method to efficiently cryopreserve embryos from the BB/Wor rat strains. Funding is requested to determine which established technique (slow equilibration, two step equilibration, or vitrification) is most suited to obtain cryopreserved embryos. Once a method has been selected, we will cryopreserve circa 20 years of genetic inbreeding and concurrently make available new reagents for the study of human diabetic embryopathy.
This proposal will result in an animal model system for the study of diabetic embryopathy. This proposal will also lower the costs associated with the commercial production of BB/Wor rats.
