VTPP Faculty Member - MARK E. WESTHUSIN, Ph.D.

MARK E. WESTHUSIN, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Email: m-westhusin@tamu.edu

EDUCATION:

B.S., Animal Science, Kansas State University, 1980
M.S., Vet Physiology, Texas A&M University, 1983
Ph.D., Vet Physiology, Texas A&M University, 1986

SPECIALTY AREAS:

Reproductive Physiology
Gamete Physiology
Embryo Physiology
Animal Breeding
Animal Selection
Embryo Transfer
Micromanipulation of Embryos
In Vitro Fertilization
In Vitro Embryo Culture
Nuclear Transplantation
Sperm Injection
Assisted Reproductive Technologies

PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT:

Research Scientist, Granada Biosciences
Adjunct Professor, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University
Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University

HONORS:

National Science Foundation Presidential Faculty Fellows Nominee
American Society of Animal Sciences Scholarship Award
Farmland Industries Scholarship Award
Richard H. Davis Teaching Award

FUNDED RESEARCH:

Application of animal biotechnology for the preservation and prepagation of Colombia Criollo cattle (Colciencias $418,999)
Production of identical cats for biomedical research (NIH, James A. Shannon Director's Award $100,000)
Sperm injection for the preservation of wild endangered ungulates (Morris Animal Foundation $45,000)
Gene expression in bovine embryos cultured in vitro (NIH $1,008,388)
Manipulation of cytoplasmic inheritance in genetically identical cattle (TAES/REP $39,000)
Isolation and characterization of bovine primordial germ cell-derived cell lines (CVM Enhancement Program $27,500)

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:

International Embryo Transfer Society
Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Center for Animal Biotechnology
Society for the Study of Reproduction
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Phi Eta Sigma Honorary
Alpha Zeta Agricultural Honorary
Gamma Sigma Delta Senior Honorary

CURRENT SUPPORT:

Application of animal biotechnology for the preservation and propagation of Colombia Criollo cattle. Colciencias. $418,999. PI. (Funds remain in Colombia and are handled through Colombia.)
Production of identical cats for biomedical research. NIH, James A. Shannon Director's Award. $100,000. 10/01/96 thru 09/30/98. PI: Mark E. Westhusin
Sperm injection for the preservation of wild endangered ungulates. Morris Animal Foundation. $45,000. 01/01/96 thru 12/31/98. PI: Mark E. Westhusin
Gene expression in bovine embryos cultured in vitro. NIH. $1,008,388. 09/01/96 thru 08/31/00. PI: Mark E. Westhusin
IVF for sick and injured bulls. USDA Animal Health. $31,704. 1997-1998. PIs: James Thompson and Mark E. Westhusin.
Isolation and characterization of bovine primordial germ cell derived cell lines. Ultimate Genetics Grant. $59,400. 02/97 thru 01/98. PIs: Mark E. Westhusin and Jorge Piedrahita.
Genetic engineering in cattle by cloning transgenic fetal cell lines. Advanced Technology Program sponsored by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. $212,454. 01/98 thru 12/99. PIs: Mark E. Westhusin and Patrick Dunne.
Cloning adult dogs by nuclear transplantation. BioArts & Research Corp. Inc.. $2,213,684. 09/01/98 thru 08/31/00. PIs: M.E. Westhusin, Robert Burghardt, D.C. Kraemer.

SELECTED RESEARCH PUBLICATION:

Manuscripts

De Sousa P.A., Westhusin M.E., Watson A.J. 1998. Determination of relative mRNA abundance for specific gene transcripts in single bovine oocytes and early embryos. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 49:119-130.
De Sousa P.A., Caveney A., Westhusin M.E., Watson A.J. 1998. Analysis of temporal patterns of zygotic gene expression and the maternal factors which regulate them. Therio. 49:115-128.
Azambuja, R.M., Kraemer, D.C., Westhusin, M.E. 1998. Effects of low temperatures on in vitro produced bovine zygotes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 47:435-439.
Azambuja R.M., Kraemer D.C., Westhusin M.E. 1997. Effect of low temperatures on in vitro matured bovine oocytes. Therio. 49:1155-1164.
Byrd, S.R., Flores-Foxworth, G., Applewhite, A.A., Westhusin, M.E. 1997. In vitro maturation of ovine oocytes in a portable incubator. Therio. 47:857-864.
Watson A.J., Barcroft L.C., Betts D.H., Westhusin M.E. 1997. Transition from serum-supplementation of media and co-culture to defined systems for supporting bovine early development in vitro. Human Reproduction (submitted).
Schultz, G.A., Harvey, M.B., Watson, A.J., Arcellana-Panlilio, M.Y., Jones, K., Westhusin, M.E. 1996. Regulation of early embryonic development by growth factors: Growth factor gene expression in cloned bovine embryos. J. Anim. Sci. 74(Suppl 3):50-57.
Westhusin, M.E. and R.M. De Azambuja. 1996. Development of in vitro-derived bovine embryos following pronuclear transplantation and in vitro culture. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 45:29-35.
Westhusin, M.E., P. Collas, D. Marek, E. Sullivan, P. Stepp, J. Pryor and F. Barnes. 1996. Reducing the amount of cytoplasm available for early embryonic development decreases the quality but not quantity of embryos produced by in vitro fertilization and nuclear transplantation. Therio. 46:243-252.
Coonrod, S.A., Herr, J.C., Westhusin, M.E. 1996. Antibodies to SP-10 inhibit bovine fertilization in vitro. J. Reprod. Fert. 107:287-297.
Wilson, J.M., J.D. Williams, K.R. Bondioli, C.R. Looney, M.E. Westhusin and D.F. McCalla. 1995. Comparison of birth weight and growth characteristics of bovine calves produced by nuclear transfer (cloning), embryo transfer and natural mating. Anim. Reprod. Sci. (38:73-83).
Westhusin M.E. and Piedrahita J.A. 1995. Application of animal biotechnology to the beef industry. Korean J. Emb. Trans. 10(1):1-13.
Day W.E., Evans J.W., Vogelsang M.M., Westhusin M.E. 1995. Characterization of the cervix in cycling mares using ultrasound. Biol. Reprod. Mono. 1:519-526.
Derr J.N., Davis S.K., Estrada J.L., Ossa J.E., Westhusin M.E., Piedrahita J., Adams L.G. 1995. Proc. Third Global Conference on Conservation of Domestic Animal Genetic Resources, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario. (Eds: R.D. Crawford, E.E. Lister and J.T. Buckley, Rare Breeds International 1995).
Flores-Foxworth, G., Coonrod, S.A., Moreno, J.F., Byrd, S.R., Kraemer, D.C., Westhusin, M.E. 1994. Interspecific transfer of IVM-IVF derived Red sheep (Ovis orientalis) embryos to domestic sheep (Ovis aries) resulting in live offspring. Therio. 44(5):681-690.
Coonrod S.A., Westhusin M.E., Naz R.K. 1994. Monoclonal antibody to human fertilization antigen-1 (FA-1) inhibits bovine fertilization in vitro: Application in immunocontraception. Biol. Reprod. 51:14-23.

Abstracts

Estrada J.L., Pachón L.A., Olivera M., Piedrahita J., Westhusin M. 1997. Superovulatory response of Colombian Creole cattle to two doses of FSH. Proc. International Embryo Transfer Society.

Carmargo D.O., Westhusin M., Estrada J.L., Gallego M.I., Olivera-Angel M. 1997. Effects of superoxide dismutase and thioredoxin on bovine embryo development in vitro. Proc. International Embryo Transfer Society.

El Hassan Y.M. and Westhusin M.E. 1997. An egg-yolk fraction high in LDL supports in vitro development of bovine embryos in a cell-free basic salt solution supplemented with lactate. Biol. Reprod. 56 (Suppl 1):138.

El Hassan Y.M. and Westhusin, M.E. 1997. In vitro development of preimplantation bovine embryos in a coculture system supplemented with egg yolk. Therio. 47:288.

El Hassan Y.M. and Westhusin, M.E. 1996. In vitro development of bovine embryos in a BRL coculture system supplemented with egg yolk in the presence or absence of fetal bovine serum and bovine serum albumin. Biol. Reprod. 54(Suppl 1):81.

Jones, K.L. and Westhusin, M.E. 1996. Effect of polyvinyl alcohol, bovine serum albumin fraction V, fetal calf serum, and fetal calf serum plus bovine serum albumin fraction V on bovine embryo development. Therio. 45:205.

Applewhite, A. and Westhusin, M.E. 1995. In vitro culture of bovine embryos in MBMOC and CR2. Therio. 43:160.

Jones, K.L., Piedrahita, J.A., Finnell, R.H., Westhusin, M.E. 1995. Detection of gene expression in single preimplantation bovine embryos by reverse transcription-T7 RNA polymerase-dependent amplification (RT-TRDA). Therio. 43:241.

Byrd S.R., Flores-Foxworth G., Westhusin M.E. 1995. Normal ovine embryo development following in vitro oocyte maturation in a portable incubator in the absence of CO₂. Therio. 43(1):179.