The value of long-term studies is well understood by researcher, Dr. Keith Betteridge who has been involved with Ontario Veterinary College equine reproduction studies since 1986.
Since graduating as a veterinarian from Bristol University, England, in 1959, Betteridge has seen reproduction technology evolve with the introduction of ultrasound in the 1980s and, most recently, RNA sequencing which has been utilized to better understand how the equine embryo develops.
It is amazing that samples from embryonic losses in early studies (2008) are proving useful in studies decades later (2021). “Long-term studies gave us an opportunity to really follow those embryos,” says Betteridge. “The ‘lemons’ from the lost pregnancies in early studies turned into lemonade as new techniques came along which we could use to further investigate those samples.”