Identification of Protein Biomarkers in Buffalo Serum for Early Pregnancy Diagnosis

• Grant number: 25/10449-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Viviane Maria Codognoto
• Grantee: Letícia Gonzaga Gonçalves
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian buffalo herd has significant economic relevance, with over 1.6 million head, standing out in the production of meat, milk and leather. Despite its hardiness and adaptability, the species faces reproductive challenges, such as estrous seasonality, anestrus and repeated heat cycles, which negatively impact production efficiency. Biotechnologies such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer are used to overcome these limitations, but late pregnancy diagnosis (from the 30th to 45th day) remains an obstacle, prolonging intervals between births and reducing productivity. Conventional methods, such as rectal palpation and ultrasound, although effective, are considered to be insufficiently early, making rapid interventions in cases of reproductive failure difficult. The objective of this project is to investigate the proteomic profile of buffalo blood in the early stages of pregnancy, aiming to identify potential biomarkers for early pregnancy diagnosis.