Biological Sciences
Frozen Ark adopted by the University
Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:52:00 BST
A tissue bank containing the frozen DNA of threatened and extinct species has been acquired by the University of Portsmouth.
Dubbed the ‘Frozen Ark,’ the tissue bank is dedicated to storing and preserving thousands of minute living cell samples containing the DNA of mammals, amphibians and reptile species from around the world. The samples are preserved by storing them in liquid nitrogen vapour at a temperature of around -186 C.
The Ark was previously held by the Zoological Society of London. It contains species extinct in the wild such as the Socorro Dove and the Scimitar Horned Oryx. Those from the endangered list include the Sumatran Tiger and the Amur Leopard, in the latter case, around only 30 individuals remain in the wild. The concept is similar to the Millenium Seedbank which stores seeds of plants from all over the world.
The University’s Dr Rhiannon Lloyd said that acquiring the Ark would enable the continuation of crucial research and conservation work.
“The Ark contains a wealth of information about species which might otherwise be lost forever. The preservation of DNA and other molecules from threatened and extinct species is a critical part of the conservation toolbox.
“It means we can study their genetics and better understand the evolutionary relations between groups of animals. And by thawing just a few cells we can grow even more cells which can be used to further research into conservation, animal and human health.”
Dr Lloyd from the School of Biological Sciences said that eventually such cells could be used to revitalise endangered populations, using assisted reproductive techniques such as cloning.
“In principle, the cells could be used to re-create species using the same cloning techniques that have been used on common animals such as sheep and cattle. The preserved cell samples contain a DNA blueprint of the animal and if they are frozen under the right conditions then we can use them to generate offspring.
“But in reality we’re still a long way off from being able to use today’s cloning techniques to resurrect species from the past, as cell viability isn’t the only important factor.”
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, today there are over 800 extinct species and almost 10,000 more are threatened with extinction.
The collection held by the University of Portsmouth forms part of the larger international Frozen Ark project whose mission is to act internationally to preserve the genetic resources of species before they are lost. Currently 19 major institutions, including zoos, aquaria, museums and universities, belong to the consortium and together they hold around 48,000 samples from some 5,500 animal species.
Most of Frozen Ark’s tissue samples originated from zoos, which donate samples when animals have died naturally or have been euthanized as a result of illness. The University plans to expand the genetic resource bank by developing stronger links with existing zoological partners and by forming new affiliations.