**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE CATTLE INDUSTRY RELIES ON ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTION. DESPITE THE EXTENSIVE USE OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE INDUSTRY, THE EFFICIENCY OF ACHIEVING PREGNANCIES HAS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. BASED ON PREVIOUS RESULTS USING BULL SPERM AND SPERM FROM OTHER SPECIES, WE WILL DEVELOP AND STUDY TWO NOVEL TREATMENTS THAT CONTROL THE SPERM'S ABILITY TO PRODUCE AND USE ENERGY, AND ULTIMATELY THE SPERM'S METABOLIC STATUS. WE HAVE SHOWN THAT MANIPULATION OF METABOLISM DIRECTLY IMPACTS SPERM FUNCTION AND THE SPERM'S ABILITY TO SUPPORT EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT TO TERM. WE PROPOSE TO STUDY HOW THESE CHANGES IN THE SPERM'S METABOLIC PATHWAYS INDUCED BY OUR TREATMENTS AFFECT THEIR FUNCTION AND TO WHAT EXTENT THESE METABOLIC CHANGES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INCREASING THE PRODUCTION OF DEVELOPMENTALLY COMPETENT EMBRYOS. WE EXPECT THESE INVESTIGATIONS TO BE INSTRUMENTAL IN IMPROVING THE OUTCOME OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN CATTLE AND OTHER SPECIES. OUR WORK WILL PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS INTO BULL SPERM METABOLISM AND ITS RELATION TO SPERM FUNCTION BEFORE AND AFTER FERTILIZATION. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT BESIDES FERTILIZATION, THERE IS A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW SPERM FUNCTION CONTRIBUTES TO THE SUCCESS OF EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT. WE EXPECT THAT THE COMPLETION OF OUR STUDIES WILL OPEN NEW AREAS OF INVESTIGATION AND HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY, AS THE OPTIMIZATION OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES WILL FACILITATE THE GENERATION OF ANIMALS WITH HIGH GENETIC VALUE.