Iowa State lab researching livestock to uncover how biological factors impact human fertility

Meet the Iowa family who learned their parents’ fertility doctor could be their father - The Daily Iowan

Just by spitting into a tube, Bert Miller’s entire life changed. On Nov. 25, 2016 — a date Miller was able to recall with ease over eight years later — Miller applied for an Ancestry.com DNA test.  When several unknown half-siblings were popping up on his family tree, however, Miller was at a loss. “At first, you think it’s just a mistake,” Miller said in an interview with The Daily Iowan. “Then you start asking questions.” After consulting othe…

Iowa State lab researching livestock to uncover how biological factors impact human fertility

An Iowa State professor and his laboratory are aiming to understand the biological factors affecting male fertility with a primary focus on pig and bovine reproduction. Despite having sperm with good motility (forward movement) and morphology (cell shape), one out of every four boars experiences a conception rate of less than 80%.  The issue mirrors human fertility challenges, where one out of eight couples struggle with infertility and one-thir…