Freeze the zoo to save the animals

Colossal, founded by George Church, announced that it will be the first to use CRISPR genetic engineering to restore extinct species, such as mammoths
.

Diseases and habitat loss are reducing wild amphibian populations globally, and more than 200 species need urgent intervention through captive breeding, Dr.
Simon Clulow said
.

In the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne, there is a zoo
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Clulow emphasized that this does not mean abandoning traditional zoos or captive breeding programs
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PhD student and lead author Lachlan Howell agrees with this view: “It is through captive breeding that giant pandas recover from the brink of extinction caused by habitat loss and poaching
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On the contrary, the researchers hope to use assisted reproductive technology to integrate the sperm of the biobank into captive populations, so as to make people realize the "great potential" of saving money, reduce the number of captive animals required for breeding projects, and use existing resources Protect more species
.

"Using a frozen zoo can increase the number of species that can be protected by 25 times
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This will be an amazing conservation achievement

Clulow has considerable experience in the preservation of viable frozen genetic material.
He said: "Using a frozen zoo can increase the number of species that can be preserved by 25 times
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The researchers said that, as far as the current situation is concerned, the funds for conservation projects are limited, which means that many species that require captive breeding to survive will disappear
.

Captive breeding

Artificial breeding is expensive
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The disadvantages of captive breeding include high cost and reduced population survival and reproductive capacity
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Those species that are lucky enough to be selected for breeding in captivity will almost immediately face another obstacle-the loss of genetic diversity
.

In just a few generations, animals are most likely to thrive and reproduce in captivity and begin to show signs of domestication and adaptation to captivity
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The decline of inbreeding will amplify undesirable traits and reduce the survival and reproductive capacity of the population
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This is inevitable, considering some small groups of typical captive projects
.
The loss of wild genes affects the overall adaptability of captive breeding animals so that they can be released into the wild
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The researchers pointed out that the biobank can not only protect the so-called "charming megafauna", but also other species that support its ecosystem
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"Disease and habitat loss are killing wild amphibian populations on a global scale
.
There are more than 900 species of amphibians that need to be kept in captivity
.
More than 200 of them are in urgent need of it to avoid extinction,
" he explained
.

With hundreds of species of amphibians facing extinction, the global capacity and available resources can only provide captive populations of no more than 50 species
.

Unless some members of these species are not captured as animals, but as genetic material
.

Benefits of biobanking sperm

Clulow and Howell believe that using biobank sperm as part of a captive breeding program can restore genetic diversity, solve problems related to population size and inbreeding, and reduce costs
.
Researchers say this is rarely done, partly because of the lack of specific examples, and partly because many people in the conservation group are unaware of the huge potential benefits
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Researchers at Macquarie University hope to raise awareness of the huge potential of biobanking
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They showed that in the captive breeding of Oregon spotted frogs, each generation uses frozen sperm for backcrossing, that is, backcrossing with one of the parents or an organism that is genetically similar to the parent, which is much cheaper than traditional captive breeding
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This supports the view that the integration of biobanks into captive breeding will make possible a long-term, previously unachievable goal of genetic diversity preservation—maintaining the genetic diversity of the original captive population for 100 years
.

The researchers pointed out that the biobank not only provides the possibility to protect the so-called "charming megafauna"-for completely pragmatic reasons-the flagship species that tends to control captive breeding programs-but also to protect the ecosystems that underpin it.
For other species, without this, animals bred in captivity cannot return to a powerful ecosystem
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Since habitat loss is the main cause of species extinction, all animals in endangered habitats are in danger, and they all contribute to the viability of the ecosystem
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Biobanks can also ensure that species that can return to nature have the genetic diversity they need to thrive and the ecological foundation that enables them to do so
.

“Integrating biobanking minimises inbreeding and produces significant cost benefits for a threatened frog captive breeding programme” by Lachlan G.
Howell, Richard Frankham, John C.
Rodger, Ryan R.
Witt, Simon Clulow, Rose MO Upton and John Clulow, 3 December 2020 , Conservation Letters .

DOI: 10.
1111/conl.
12776