A WHITCHURCH biobank which preserves the cells of endangered animals has joined forces with a charity to help save species from extinction.
Nature SAFE in Ash Lane has joined forces with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (BIAZA) and it hopes their close cooperation will help save endangered animal species.
BIAZA is a registered charity which represents zoos and aquariums in the UK and Ireland and over 120 orgainsations are BIAZA members and 11 of its members already work with the biobank.
Nature SAFE and BIAZA signed a a memorandum of understanding and will be working together through a free cryopreservation and live storage biobanking service to BIAZA zoos and the Whitchurch biobank is looking forward to working together.
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Co-founder and Biobank Lead at Nature’s SAFE, Dr Rhiannon Bolton said: "This agreement with BIAZA is an extremely important step forward for us.
"We are building a unique network of expertise to enable cutting-edge reproductive and cryopreservation science to be delivered to endangered animal breeding programmes.
"It is our intention to offer a free cryopreservation and live storage biobanking service to BIAZA zoos to further our aim of saving animals from extinction."
Nature’s SAFE cryopreserves live tissues and cells indefinitely in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius and it has sone that for many species.
A Nature's SAFE spokesperson said: "Nature’s SAFE has a mission to save animals from extinction, by collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species.
"This is achieved by harnessing regeneration and reproductive technologies.
"Nature’s SAFE’s bank of live reproductive cells, tissues, and skin can subsequently be used to facilitate species restoration.
"Nature’s SAFE has currently cryopreserved multiple cell types from 161 animal species including the critically endangered mountain chicken frog, Javan green magpie and pied tamarin."
BIAZA's members care for many endangered species from all around the world including orangutans to tree snails and hopes the partnership will help prevent extinction of various species.
BIAZA chief executive officer, Dr Jo Judge said: "I’m incredibly pleased to be working alongside such dedicated and innovative conservation organisations as Nature’s SAFE.
"We are in an extinction crisis.
"We are losing nature at a staggering rate.
"We must be doing all we can to conserve the natural world on which we all rely."
Nature SAFE's work is entirely funded by donations.
To find out more or how to donate visit https://www.natures-safe.com/
For more information about BIAZA visit https://biaza.org.uk/our-association
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