Dairy spotlight: Jason Knott
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EmailKnott's research focuses on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that control early embryonic development in mice and cattle.
Jason Knott, PhD, joined the Department of Animal Science at MSU in 2007. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in animal science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His graduate studies focused on cattle reproduction with an emphasis on fertilization and assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF and cloning. Following his PhD, he conducted his post-doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the Serono Research Institute.
Early in his career, he worked as an embryologist for two small biotechnology companies focused on the cloning of genetically superior dairy and beef cattle and the cloning of genetically engineered cattle that produce human polyclonal antibodies. These early roles provided him real-world experience working with cattle. His research program at MSU is focused on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that control early embryonic development in mice and cattle. His research focuses on the first week of pregnancy, commonly known as preimplantation embryo development. The goals of his research are to better understand the roles of candidate genes and signaling pathways in preimplantation embryos that impact pregnancy success.
His teaching program is focused on cattle and human reproduction and animal biotechnology. He teaches a very popular biotechnology course (ANS425) that covers molecular biology techniques, assisted reproductive technologies, genetic engineering and immunology. Knott is very interested in getting more involved with outreach and connecting with farmers and student groups to provide research expertise on early embryo development and education on the value of science in animal agriculture and biomedicine.
