The University of Cambridge’s Equine Fertility Unit (EFU), which among other projects over the years produced Europe’s first test tube foal, will close in September due to lack of funding, said facility head Twink Allen, BVSc, PhD, ScD, DESM, MRCVS.

The EFU was established 37 years ago and was funded by the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) using money from the Horse Race Betting Levy Board. The Fertility Unit had requested £450,000 ($889,000) per year for the next 10 years. They previously had received £300,000 per year.

"The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association has pulled the plug on us, and that is very sad and very stupid," Allen stated.

According to Allen, the group at EFU was progressing on three major studies at the time of the announcement that their funding had been removed. These studies included investigation of the maternal recognition of pregnancy signal, work on equine embryonic stem cells for tendon repair, and a study on the effects of vasodilatory agents on uterine and placental blood flow