Research program
Our central question is simple but consequential: what distinguishes a truly fertile sperm cell from one that merely appears normal?
Explore the program ↓
The challenge
Motility and morphology remain useful, but they do not fully predict fertilization. Functionally distinct sperm subpopulations exist within every ejaculate. The Kerns Lab connects molecular mechanism to precision diagnosis—moving iteratively from basic discovery, to single-cell validation, to tools for livestock reproduction and One Health applications.
We discovered that zinc ions regulate sperm capacitation—the final maturation process sperm must complete before fertilization. Four zinc signatures track a cell’s progression: whole-cell signal; head plus midpiece; midpiece only; and no detectable zinc.
Foundational Nature Communications study ↗
Deep-learning models analyze standard brightfield images to detect morphology, acrosome integrity, viability, and other fertility-relevant traits. The goal is rapid, accessible phenotyping without fluorescent stains or specialized reagents.
Deep-learning morphology study ↗
We isolate functionally distinct sperm subpopulations to understand how sorting alters capacitation, fertilization, and early embryo development—and to develop practical strategies for identifying the cells most likely to succeed.
Sorting and embryo-development study ↗
One branch of our preservation research asks what freezing changes inside sperm—not simply whether cells survive. Comparative proteomics reveals molecular differences between fresh and cryopreserved bovine sperm and points toward more informative measures of post-thaw function.
Comparative bovine cryopreservation study ↗
Iowa State research news
Iowa State’s next-generation cell-sorting infrastructure supports research questions that were previously out of reach—from fertility biomarkers and embryos to plant cells, immune cells, and viruses.
Read the CALS feature ↗Recognition
Iowa State CALS recognized the program’s integration of single-cell phenomics, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence to redefine male-fertility diagnostics across species.
Read the award story →