**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SUCCESSFUL REPRODUCTION IS NECESSARY FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CATTLE FARMERS TO PROVIDE OUR RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION WITH MEAT, MILK, AND CATTLE BYPRODUCTS.THIS SAID, ONLY50 TO 65% OF BEEF COWS AND &LT;30 TO 50% OF DAIRY COWS BECOME PREGNANT EACH TIME THEY ARE BRED. THEREFORE, PRODUCTION IS INHIBITED. ONE REASON FOR REDUCED PREGNANCY RATES IS FAILURE OF THE OVULATING FOLLICLE TO PROVIDE THE OOCYTE (EGG) WITH THE NOURISHMENT IT NEEDS FOR FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT. ESTROGEN PRODUCTION BY THE OVULATING FOLLICLE IS ONE WAY TO MEASURE THE FOLLICLE'S QUALITY AND COW FERTILITY. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS ISTHAT THE FLUID OF OVULATORY FOLLICLESWITH LOWER ESTROGEN PRODUCTIONWILL CONTAIN LOWER AMOUNTS OF THE SUBSTANCES NEEDED TO NOURISH THE OOCYTE. THEREFORE, THE OOCYTE IS INADEQUATELY PREPARED TO CREATE AN EMBRYO AND PREGNANCY. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DETERMINE THE FUNCTIONAL IMPACT OF THE FOLLICULAR FLUID COMPOSITION FROM OVULATORY FOLLICLES EXPECTED TO SUPPORT HIGHER VS LOWER FERTILITY OUTCOMES ON OOCYTE METABOLISM AND EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT.WE EXPECT THAT OOCYTES NOURISHED WITH FOLLICULAR FLUID FROM LOWER ESTRADIOL (LOWER QUALITY) OVULATORY FOLLICLES WILL HAVE REDUCED ENERGY PRODUCTION AND REDUCED ABILITY TO DEVELOP INTO A HIGH-QUALITY EMBRYO FOLLOWING FERTILIZATION. WE ALSO EXPECT THAT EMBRYOS FROM OOCYTES NOURISHED WITH LOWER QUALITY FOLLICULAR FLUID WILL HAVE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR GENE EXPRESSION THAT FURTHER INHIBIT THEIR DEVELOPMENT INTO A VIABLE PREGNANCY. RESULTS WILL INDICATE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOLLICULAR FLUID'S QUALITY AND THE OOCYTE'S ABILITY TO BECOME A QUALITY EMBRYO. THIS WILL ALLOW FUTURE RESEARCHERS TO DEVELOP METHODS TO IMPROVE MEDIA COMPOSITION TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT OF OOCYTES THAT ARE USED FOR IN VITRO EMBRYO PRODUCTION. FUTURE RESEARCH TO PROVIDE COWS WITH SUPPLEMENTS TO IMPROVE THE FOLLICLE'S ABILITY TO NOURISH THE OOCYTE WILL ALSO BE ENABLED BY THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY.