Two Penn State scientists are part of a national research team recognized with the 2026 agInnovation Excellence in Multistate Research Award for work aimed at improving reproductive performance in cattle and sheep - a challenge that costs U.S. livestock producers billions of dollars each year.
Wansheng Liu, professor of animal genomics, and Claire Stenhouse, assistant professor of reproductive biology, both in the Department of Animal Science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, are members of the award-winning team. Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station, was also part of the team for several years.
The award recognizes the team's contributions to Hatch Multistate Project W4112. This collaborative research effort has supported the resilience and productivity of the U.S. beef, dairy and sheep industries for more than 50 years. The project received $15,000 from the Hatch Multistate Research Fund to support its ongoing objectives.
The award was presented Sept. 24 during the agInnovation Annual Meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado. agInnovation is a national network of leaders from state agricultural experiment stations at land-grant universities nationwide. Formerly known as the Experiment Station Section, the organization promotes collaboration and innovation in agricultural research.
The project brings together scientists from universities and research institutions nationwide to address reproductive challenges that affect livestock production. According to Liu and Stenhouse, reproductive inefficiency is a major constraint on the profitability and sustainability of U.S. livestock systems. Early pregnancy loss alone is estimated to cost U.S. livestock producers as much as $3.7 billion annually.
"Improving reproductive efficiency can have a substantial economic impact on livestock producers," Liu said. "We want to better understand the biological and genetic factors that influence fertility and to translate those discoveries into practical tools for identifying animals with superior reproductive potential. This can help producers make more informed breeding decisions, reduce reproductive losses and improve the efficiency and sustainability of livestock production."
Liu and Stenhouse contributed to research involving sperm biomarkers and deep-learning algorithms that can identify those biomarkers in sperm images. Their work can help artificial insemination laboratories identify subfertile sires before they are widely used for breeding, potentially improving reproductive outcomes in cattle and sheep.
The Penn State researchers collaborated with scientists from universities and research institutions in Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Wyoming and Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service.
"Livestock reproduction is complex, and addressing reproductive inefficiency requires expertise from many different areas," Stenhouse said. "Multistate projects allow us to bring that expertise together, build on each other's strengths and move promising discoveries closer to practical application. Our goal is not simply to understand the biology of reproduction, but to use that knowledge to improve outcomes for producers. Working across institutions and production systems helps us identify findings that are robust and have the greatest potential for practical application."
Even modest improvements in reproductive performance could have substantial economic benefits, the researchers said. The team estimated that a 1% improvement in calf or lamb production resulting from innovations developed through the project could be worth more than $1 billion annually to U.S. producers.
The benefits extend beyond individual farms and ranches. More efficient livestock production can help maintain reliable supplies of meat and dairy products while supporting the broader agricultural economy. Beef, dairy and sheep production collectively account for approximately $243 billion in annual production value and support an estimated 2.3 million jobs.
The project's multistate structure also is designed to accelerate the translation of research discoveries from laboratories to farms. Federal Hatch Multistate capacity funding provides a mechanism for researchers to maintain long-term collaborations, share expertise and conduct research that would be difficult for individual institutions to undertake independently.
Although the research focuses on livestock reproduction, some discoveries also may have applications in biomedical research. National Institutes of Health funding has supported research connecting discoveries in animal science with potential applications in human health.
Liu and Stenhouse hold joint research and Penn State Extension appointments, allowing them to connect their research with the needs of livestock producers and help translate scientific findings into practical tools and recommendations.
That integration reflects the broader mission of Penn State and other land-grant universities to conduct research, educate students and serve communities through outreach and extension, the researchers said.
Beth Gugino, associate dean for research operations and graduate education in the College of Agricultural Sciences, said the project's success underscores the enduring value of Hatch Multistate funding and the power of the State Agricultural Experiment Station System (agInnovation) to address complex agricultural challenges that no single institution can solve alone.
"Through collaboration, shared expertise and a commitment to producer-focused outcomes, Drs. Liu and Stenhouse and their colleagues have advanced research with the potential to improve livestock productivity, profitability and sustainability across the nation," said Gugino, who also serves as associate director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural State Experiment Station. "This award is a well-deserved recognition of both their scientific excellence and the importance of sustained investment in agricultural research."
