If I'm understanding correctly, this could be used for cloning if you could select two nuclei with non-overlapping chromosomes from a single person's sperm/eggs ... much easier to clone a man due the limits of egg extraction.
back of the envelope:
- each gamete has 1 of 2 choices for 23 chromosomes.
- you need to find any two non-overlapping
- probability of non-overlap is 0.5^23 for any pair
- number of pairs equals (n choose 2) where n is number of gametes = n!/ (2 * (n - 2)!) = 0.5 * n * (n-1) = 0.5 * (n^2 - n)
- to get a 50/50 chance of finding the right gametes: 0.5 = 0.5^23 * 0.5 * (n^2 - n), which is equivalent to: 0 = 0.5^23 * (n^2 -n) - 1
- solved via wolfram alpha, you would need to screen 2897 nuclei non-destructively to get a 50% chance of being able to generate a clone.
I'm not aware if this is possible or not. But obviously if you can just replace chromosomes in-nucleus that is easier than screening, but if you can do that you don't really need this whole process since you can just replace the nucleus after IVF. If you could harvest a sex cell and do meiosis in a test tube, that would also get you your nuclei right away as well -- from 10 seconds of googling, I don't think we have this yet.
I think when they screen zygotes they do it after some replication has happened, so the math really works against you if you need to combine sperm+egg pre-screen because you don't get the birthday paradox effect if you have to commit to your pairings beforehand, you'd need to huge egg supply as well.