Scientists Create the First IVF Kangaroo Embryo, Hope to Do the Same for Other Endangered Species
Deterioration of ecosystems due to the vulnerable status of multiple species has posed a huge challenge for environmentalists. Scientists have come up with a way to combat this problem by preparing an innovative animal reproduction method, stated BBC. The method was recently applied to kangaroos and produced great results. The team hopes to replicate it for other endangered species like Leadbeater's possum, Tasmanian devil, koala, and northern hairy-nosed wombat.
A team of Australian scientists took specimens from eastern grey kangaroos and got themselves a single sperm cell. They took into consideration aspects like the growth of kangaroo eggs and sperm, in a lab setting, for creating the embryo. This sperm cell was then injected into an egg, resulting in the first-ever kangaroo embryo through In-vitro fertilization (IVF). This particular process of IVF is known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Though researchers have managed to create an IVF kangaroo embryo, the step of live birth remains a far possibility. Experts claim that to achieve live birth, they require more 'technical advancements.'
The process had been applied in the past on some domestic animals, stated NBC. "Our team built on years of experience working with reproductive technologies in domestic animals like livestock and horses," lead researcher Andres Gambini said. "By adapting these techniques to the unique biology of kangaroos, we were able to create an embryo in the lab for the first time." For formulating the kangaroo embryo, researchers utilized specimens from dead eastern grey kangaroos, according to BBC. The species was specifically chosen, because of its high population.
Though kangaroos are not extinct, they belong to the marsupial group of animals, many of whose species have been lost to extinction, stated NBC. This process could give them more pathways to protect those vulnerable species, according to experts. The achievement gave them more understanding regarding the subject of marsupial breeding. "Kangaroos have a very short pregnancy, and the embryo can go into suspended animation for several months," Gambini said. "Our success with IVF helps us better understand these early stages of development."
The team is hopeful that progress in this process will give them insights to enhance genetic diversity amongst endangered species, stated BBC. Despite the prominent presence of marsupials in Australia's biodiversity, analysis regarding the tissues of these beings has been limited. Hence, researchers want more examinations to be done on marsupial species. "We are now refining techniques to collect, culture, and preserve marsupial eggs and sperm," Gambini said. This will help them in preserving the genetic material of this group of animals.
Researchers with the method are following the initiative undertaken by the Australian government to protect their biodiversity, stated NBC. The government in recent years has gotten very concerned with the high rate of extinction persistent in the country. "If we keep doing what we’re doing, more plants and animals will become extinct," Australian Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek said in a report. "Even koalas are now endangered on the east coast of Australia." In 2022, Australian authorities even announced a 10-year plan to protect vulnerable species in their country from extinction.