Mass differences between bovine sperm bearing X or Y chromosomes have been measured by researchers in Italy. The findings could be used to develop a gentle sperm sexing technique. 
The livestock industry relies on sperm sorting to select the right candidates for artificial insemination. Flow cytometry, the current technique used to sort sperm, involves labelling sperm with a fluorescent dye and capturing the labelled sperm in single droplets before exciting the dye. The strength of the dye’s fluorescence indicates the presence of X or Y chromosomes. However, in this intrusive process the sperm become stressed – the extent of the damage this causes is still under debate.
A microbridge sensor developed by Marco Mauro and his team at Novaetech, Napoli, in collaboration with the Italian Experimental Institute, Lazarro Spallanzani in Cremona, is a non-invasive alternative for sorting live sperm cells.
To read the full article, please visit Chemistry World.
Experimental evidence of a buoyant mass difference between bovine spermatozoa bearing X- and Y-chromosomes using a micromechanical resonator
Marco Mauro, Raffaele Battaglia, Gianluca Ferrini, Roberto Puglisi, Donatella Balduzzi and Andrea Galli
Analyst, 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3AN01979A, Paper
