A COW-SIDE BLOOD TEST FOR PREGNANCY USING PREGNANCY-SPECIFIC PROTEIN B (PSPB)

THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE A FIELD TEST KIT FOR DETECTING PREGNANCY IN CATTLE BY A BLOOD TEST. THE GOALS OF THE PHASE I PROJECT ARE 1) TO DEVELOP THE KIT AND 2) TO TEST THE KIT ON A LIMITED NUMBER OF CATTLE. THE TEST WILL BE BASED ON PRESENCE OF PLACENTAL DERIVED PREGNANCY-SPECIFIC PROTEIN B (PSPB) IN MATERNAL BLOOD. THE TEST WILL BE A ONE-STEP PROCEDURE IN WHICH SERUM (OR PERHAPS WHOLE BLOOD) IS APPLIED TO THE TEST DEVICE AND A COLOR BAND DEVELOPS WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. RESEARCH WILL BE CONDUCTED TO OPTIMIZE CONDITIONS FOR IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTION ON A SUPPORT TEST-STRIP. ONCE THE TEST-STRIP IS PREPARED IT WILL BE TESTED FOR ACCURACY, REPEATABILITY AND SENSITIVITY. IT IS HOPED THAT THE TEST WILL BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS THE RADIOIMMUNOASSAY FOR PSPB IN DETECTING PREGNANCY.