Modern Reproductive Biotechnology Assists Farm Animal Conservation and Genetic Rescue

Dear Colleagues,

Within the framework of biodiversity protection programs, banking of the germplasm-carrier biological materials (male gametes and in vivo- or in vitro-produced embryos) by their ex situ preservation can be used as an ancillary strategy for not only maintaining and protecting the farm animal populations but also for the re-establishment and re-introduction into anthropogenic agricultural ecosystems of livestock breeds that disappear or significantly decrease in number. For all the above-mentioned reasons, the establishment and subsequent preservation of genetically stable or permanent primary cell cultures and somatic cell lines originating from different tissue bioptates provides an alternative or complementary research highlight in relation to gamete and embryo freezing or vitrification procedures.

The modern assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in farm animals are mainly based on in vitro embryo production (IVP) systems that include three inevitable steps, as has been consecutively indicated: the in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes, their in vitro fertilization (IVF) or reconstruction by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and the in vitro culture (IVC) of fertilized or cloned embryos. Similar to other ARTs such as classic artificial insemination (AI), IVF frequently requires the use of cryopreserved or lyophilized spermatozoa, and can either be accomplished by standard gamete co-incubation, or can be assisted microsurgically by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) into meiotically matured oocytes.

Innovative ART-mediated tools appear to be indispensable to genetically rescue and perpetuate the long-term ex situ conservation of biodiversity in indigenous breeds of various livestock species, including near-threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically imperiled, vanishing and even extinct farm animal breeds.

Cumulatively, this Special Issue opens the possibility of publishing research articles, comprehensive reviews and short communications aimed at research highlights encompassing the efficient approaches that enable the protection of genetic resources derived from endangered farm animal species from extinction and to successfully retain the ex situ and/or in situ conservation of biodiversity in livestock species.

Dr. Monika Trzcińska
Prof. Dr. Marcin Samiec
Guest Editors

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