BREED Diagnostics

20/10/2025

✨ More success requires Moore Metal! ✨

Bred right here in Australia 🇦🇺 by our very own Rob and Jacqui Jones, Moore Metal is a stallion with a story — and if you know his history, you’ll understand why he’s truly special. 💫

At BREED Diagnostics we’re proud to work with dedicated stallion owners like Rob and Jacqui, who are constantly striving for genetic excellence.
Rob and Jacqui use our advanced diagnostic services to ensure only the highest quality semen is shipped — stallion owners who truly care and want to ensure your success. 🧬🐴

👏 Support local Australian breeders and take a closer look at Moore Metal. And yes, he is available for ICSI here in Newcastle😉

For more information about this outstanding stallion, contact Rob Jones today!

16/10/2025

🐴💥 These Quarter Horses are "cutting" the queue! 💥🐴

Third Edge semen has officially arrived at the Newcastle University ICSI Lab!

He’s hit the scene and he means business — bringing serious edge to your breeding program. ⚡

If you’d like to use Third Edge semen for your next ICSI cycle, contact one of Australia's leading agents, the wonderful Tish Healy of Healey Quarter Horses and arrange your booking with the lab. 📩

15/10/2025

🌟 Introducing the Dream Team! 🌟

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr Kylie Hardwicke and our very own Dr Jennifer Clulow will be joining forces next Tuesday, 21st October, for OPU at Hawkesbury Equine Veterinary Centre 🐴

📣 The books are filling fast — and there’s just ONE space left!

Don’t miss your chance to have two of the very best working with you and your mare 💫

📩 To book, contact us at embryolab@newcastle.edu.au

13/10/2025

🔥 Dreaming of breeding your next champion? 🔥

No matter your discipline — having access to elite genetics is the foundation of success. 🏆🐎

✨ Quarter Horse owners, this one’s for you! ✨

We’re thrilled to announce that our Newcastle Equine ICSI Lab has been granted access to three incredible stallions for ICSI:

💥 WOODY BE TUFF
💥 ONCE IN A BLU BOON
💥 THE DARKK SIDE

These powerhouse sires combine proven performance, exceptional bloodlines, and remarkable versatility — giving you a serious competitive edge. 💪

📩 Interested?
Contact the wonderful Tish Healy from Healey Quarter Horses
📧 tish@healeyquarterhorses.com.au
https://healeyquarterhorses.com.au/

08/10/2025

💫 S***mSafe – innovation in motion! 💫
Developed right here at the University of Newcastle, S***mSafe is designed specifically for the transport of stallion s***m at 17–22°C — meaning no need to freeze or chill! ❄️🚫
Already proven to produce many healthy foals through AI programs, we wanted to know — does it work for ICSI too? 🐴💉
In collaboration with Dr Amber Clutton-Brock of EquiBreed UK, S***mSafe has now been tested for ICSI, and the results speak for themselves. The hatching embryo below is living proof that s***m stored in S***mSafe for multiple days at 17°C can still create beautiful, viable embryos. 🌱✨
This embryo has passed day 14 of development in vitro - we wanted to see if embryos produced with S***mSafe have the capacity to hatch.
Ever wondered what the inside of an embryo looks like? Take a look below! 👀
A huge thank you to Dr Jacob Netherton for capturing this incredible image from the ICSI lab here at Newcastle. 🔬
Learn more about S***mSafe at https://www.s***msafe.au/, or contact us to discuss implementing it in your ICSI program: embryolab@newcastle.edu.au

02/10/2025

She’s at it again! 🎉
Another successful OPU for Dr Fiona Herzog – with a healthy embryo produced in our ICSI lab here at Newcastle.

The team at BREED Diagnostics are proud to work with some of the very best clinicians offering OPU. Our very own Dr Jennifer Clulow works tirelessly to support our partner clinicians in achieving the best possible results. Stay tuned for more updates!

Our aim is always to deliver outstanding outcomes for our clients 🐴✨

📧 For more information contact us at: embryolab@newcastle.edu.au

28/09/2025

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome a beautiful new ICSI c**t🐴💫
The journey started with oocyte retrieval by the talented Dr Fiona Herzog at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital. A viable embryo was then produced at the Newcastle Equine ICSI Laboratory. Embryo transfer and pregnancy care were expertly managed by Dr Doug Edlington at Dr Ed's Equine Veterinary Services.
A wonderful team effort and a very happy result – a strong, healthy c**t on the ground. 💙✨

If you’re interested in ICSI, please contact us at
embryolab@newcastle.edu.au

18/09/2025

Our team are happy to welcome Dr Fiona Herzog to the Newcastle Equine ICSI Laboratory. Fiona is a leading OPU practitioner, providing this service from Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital. This day 11 hatching blastocyst is one of many embryos produced in collaboration with Fiona and the team at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital.

30/08/2025

Massive congratulations to Dr Aleona Swegen for such a massive win!!

We’re so proud of everything you do - it’s great to see S***mSafe in such ‘safe’ hands 🙌 🏆

AND…. She got a giant cheque!? 🥳😝

31/07/2025

I can’t recommend EquiBreed ART highly enough! If you want to get trained for OPU, you can send your oocytes to us for ICSI at the University of Newcastle.

22/05/2025

Our very own Aleona Swegen upping the game for S***mSafe!

Introducing the first cohort of the Newcastle Permanent Innovation Accelerator Program! Meet The University of Newcastle, Australia and HMRI researchers tackling major health challenges:

⚪ Dr Anna Behler from HMRI's Brain Neuromodulation Research Program: Developing a tool to assess hearing through visual behaviour monitoring.

⚪ Dr Gabrielle Briggs from HMRI’s Injury and Trauma Research Program: Creating a rapid test for early sepsis detection.

⚪ Dr Kirsten Coupland from HMRI’s Heart and Stroke Research Program: Innovating a pharmacological method to induce hypothermia for stroke treatment.

⚪ Dr Aleona Swegen from HMRI's Infertility and Reproduction Research Program: Enhancing IVF success with a new s***m storage medium.

Launched as part of the $2 million Newcastle Permanent Innovation Partnership, this program offers funding, mentorship, and industry connections to turn groundbreaking research into real-world healthcare solutions.

Over 12 weeks, these four early-career researchers will engage in a personalised program, culminating in a demo day where they present to industry leaders and investors. Each participant will receive $20,000 to accelerate their project, with one researcher eligible for a prestigious $200,000 award.

Learn more about the Newcastle Permanent Innovation Accelerator Program and the inaugural cohort:
https://okt.to/GZmJ8z

27/03/2025

ISER XIII Flashback Monday! 🇧🇷🐎🧪

Isabel Catalina Vélez et al. presented their research, titled "Effect of a dietary antioxidant supplementation on semen characteristics of the Colombian horse."

Here’s a quick snapshot 📸:

📖 Background and study aim:
- Cooling equine semen increases reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage s***m membranes.
- This study evaluated whether an antioxidant-rich dietary supplement improves semen quality in Colombian Creole stallions.

💉 Methods:
- Six stallions (5–15 years) were collected three times per week for 20 weeks.
- They were randomly assigned to a control or supplemented group, receiving a mix of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals (Natural Fertility®).
- Semen was assessed for motility, morphology, acrosomal integrity, membrane function, ROS levels, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC).

📊 Results:
- Supplemented stallions' had higher s***m acrosome integrity (82.9% vs. 78.5%) and increased seminal plasma antioxidant capacity.
- S***m beat cross frequency was higher in supplemented stallions (36.7 Hz vs. 32.7 Hz).
- Individual responses varied—some stallions showed improved motility, while others had reduced motility.

📥 Take-home message:
- Antioxidant supplementation can enhance s***m quality and seminal plasma antioxidant capacity, but effects may vary between stallions.

Find the full abstract here: 🔗 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104620