In vitro fertilisation is used widely in animal husbandry, human IVF and transgenics and stem cell research. A recent paper by Karen Hazzard of the Embryonic Stem Cell and Transgenic Mouse Core at the National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland describes experiments evaluating different fertilisation rates in two IVF protocols.

Laboratories use IVF as a valuable tool for efficient assisted reproduction in genetically engineered mice and for breeding mice from cryopreserved sperm, which enables them to archive their valuable genetically engineered strains. Over the last few years, several modification protocols for sperm cryopreservation and IVF have been published in an effort to improve the fertilisation rate. Incidental in this study, a BT37 incubator was cited in the publication and used to provide precise incubation conditions for IVF.

Users tend to choose the BT37 for precision but also for convenience – it provides ease of use and a consistent environment.  As a benchtop machine the BT37 can make working with thawed frozen sperm easier. Some recent murine protocols stress that it is important to move the sperm preincubation-drop as little as possible (when adding sperm to the fertilisation-drop) and it is easier to achieve this with a benchtop incubator such as the  BT37 because it can be located right next to the microscope.

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J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2014 Nov; 53(6): 641?646
http://planer.com/products/incubators/bt-37.html