Engineering oocyte-secreted factors to improve the treatment of female infertility

William's research investigated the synthesis and signalling of several ovarian growth factors known to have critical functions for female fertility. By understanding how these growth factors are made and signal, William was able to produce several analogues with greater potency than the naturally occurring forms. These potent engineered growth factors have therapeutic applications for both the preservation of female fertility and the treatment of infertility. Whilst developed primarily for use in women, they also have broader applications in other mammalian species; including as contraceptives in pest species and domesticated animals, and for reproduction of agricultural animals and endangered species.