Australian scientists cryopreserve koala eggs and sperm as genetic backup against extinction

Researchers in Australia are freezing koala eggs and sperm in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius to create a genetic backup for the species. The cryopreserved material could be used for artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization to produce healthy embryos, preserving genetic diversity that helps populations adapt to environmental challenges. Koala numbers have crashed by up to 80 percent in parts of Queensland and New South Wales since the late 1990s due to deforestation, bushfires, drought, and disease, prompting the government to list eastern populations as endangered in 2022. Meanwhile, some southern regions face overabundance, where koalas overbrowse and kill the trees they depend on. The project, led by reproductive biologist Andres Gambini at the University of Queensland, aims to safeguard genetic material from both declining and dense populations for future conservation programs. Evolutionary biologist Vincent Lynch noted the cells could remain viable for decades in cryostorage.