Media Release

The work was led by Monash IVF Scientist and Monash University PhD student from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Jennifer Lorimer and examines how AI and automation could support key stages of the IVF process, including sperm preparation, egg handling, embryo assessment and cryopreservation.

Currently, many IVF laboratory procedures rely on manual techniques and visual assessments. These assessments depend on professional judgement and can lead to variations between operators and clinics.

Ms Lorimer said AI and automation could help reduce this variability by improving precision, standardising workflows and supporting clinical decisions.

“AI and automation are opening the door to a new generation of IVF technologies that are not just automated versions of manual techniques, but redesigned systems that overcome current limitations,” Ms Lorimer said.

“This shift allows us to rethink how each step in the IVF process is performed, with the goal of improving consistency and supporting better clinical outcomes.”

The paper titled AI and automation in assisted reproduction, published in Nature Reviews Bioengineering, was co-authored by Monash IVF Group Fertility Specialist Professor Robert McLachlan, Monash IVF Group Chief Scientific Officer Professor Deirdre Zander-Fox, University of Melbourne Dean of the Faculty of Science Professor Moira O’Bryan and Monash University Associate Professor Reza Nosrati.

Professor Deirdre Zander-Fox said these systems “could support more objective assessment of sperm, eggs and embryos, reduce variation between operators and clinics, and help embryologists make more informed decisions while keeping expert human oversight at the centre of care”.

The review highlights that further research and clinical validation is needed before many of these technologies can be adopted in practice. The authors say that AI should support, not replace, the expertise of embryologists and fertility specialists.

Read the research paper at here.