Patent ID: 8158366

Claim:
A method for identifying a peptide that binds specifically to oocytes of a target species of animal in a species-specific manner, the method comprising: (a) isolating oocytes of the target species of animal and isolating oocytes of one or more non-target species of animals; (b) contacting the isolated oocytes of the target species with a phage library; (c) selecting phage from the library that bind specifically to the oocytes of the target species of animal; wherein the phage library is first contacted with the oocytes of the one of more non-target species of animals, and subsequently, members of the phage library that do not bind to the oocytes of the one of more non-target species of animals are contacted with the oocytes of the target species of animal and those members of the phage library that bind to the oocytes of the target species of animal are selected, thereby identifying peptides that bind specifically to the oocytes of the target species of animal in a species-specific manner.