From sperm to embryos; lessons learnt from Tim Rowson's career.

L.E.A.Rowson (1914-1989) raised horizons in farm animal research and the impact of his reproductive contributions remains of major importance worldwide. First, his studies with E.J.C. Polge on the successful deep - freezing and thawing of bull spermatozoa enabled artificial insemination to be applied on an international scale. Second, his development of non-surgical embryo transfer techniques in cattle gave a major boost to the breeding industry, facilitated by deep -frozen storage of embryos during international transport. He also guided many research students whose work in cattle, sheep and horses has become prominent during the past 60 years.