DNA banks for endangered animals
DNA banks for endangered animals are specialized facilities that preserve genetic materials and information related to species at risk of extinction. These banks collect and store various biological samples, including sperm, embryos, and body tissues, often preserving them in liquid nitrogen at extremely low temperatures. The aim of these banks is to potentially restore endangered species through advanced technologies, including cloning, as seen in successful cases like the black-footed ferret and Przewalski's horse. The establishment of these banks has gained momentum alongside advancements in DNA technology and heightened environmental activism, driven by concerns over the increasing rate of species extinctions.
Organizations around the world, including those in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India, and Australia, have contributed to this movement, with notable examples like the Frozen Ark in England and the Frozen Zoo in California. While advocates assert the importance of these banks for conservation and biodiversity, there are also criticisms regarding the potential for creating illegal markets for endangered species and debates on the natural course of extinction. Despite these concerns, many scientists support the value of DNA banks as historical records that may aid future conservation efforts and enhance public awareness of environmental challenges.
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DNA banks for endangered animals
DEFINITION: Facilities that preserve genetic materials from and information about endangered animal species.
SIGNIFICANCE: Building on the advances being made in DNA-related technologies in forensic science and the knowledge being accumulated in the related field of wildlife forensics, some organizations have undertaken to collect and store the genetic materials of endangered animal species in the hope that technological advancements will enable scientists to use these materials to restore the species, potentially through cloning.
Organizations that are concerned with the loss of animal species to extinction have established banks to preserve the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of endangered animals. In addition to collecting and storing biological samples from endangered species (sperm, embryos, and body tissues), preserving them in liquid nitrogen at nearly –400 degrees Fahrenheit, these organizations store information on the species’ natural habitats and maintain databases to keep track of the materials that have been collected. Organizations devoted to preserving animal DNA have been established in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India, and Australia; among the most widely known animal DNA banks are those maintained by the Frozen Ark project in England and the Frozen Zoo project in San Diego, California.
Several factors have come together to fuel the animal DNA bank movement, including advances in DNA technology and growing environmental activism. The banking of animal DNA is a conscience-driven effort by people who also want to increase awareness of the threats posed to existing species by human advancement. Estimates of potential extinctions in the twenty-first century remained ominous, with some researchers asserting that the world is in the midst of a mass extinction period. Proponents emphasized that many species considered to be endangered or threatened in the early twenty-first century could someday benefit from DNA banks. Supporting endangered species through strengthened biodiversity remained a key goal. While cloning attempts using such frozen genetic material had been attempted in the past, one successful trial occurred when the black-footed ferret was first cloned using frozen genetic material from the San Diego bank in 2020; two more had been cloned using this material by 2024. Similarly, the cell line of a Przewalski's horse cryogenically preserved at the San Diego bank allowed for the successful cloning of two such horses, with the first in 2020 and the second in 2023.
Critics of the organizations that maintain DNA banks for endangered animals asserted that these organizations may inadvertently create an underground market for the animals they mean to protect; the stored genetic materials could potentially have high monetary value. Moreover, some scientists believe that some species extinction is a natural part of the planet’s life cycle, one that humans should not tamper with, at least until they have had much more time to observe the interactions between species and Earth’s environment. The animal DNA banks, however, enjoy widespread support among scientists, if only for the value they provide as historical databases.
Bibliography
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