Latest news with #Gambini
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Kangaroo embryo produced through IVF for the first time
It's a major scientific leap — or at least a hop. Researchers in Australia said Thursday that they have for the first time successfully produced the first kangaroo embryos through in-vitro fertilization, in a breakthrough that may help save endangered species from extinction. Australia is not short of kangaroos — the bouncing creatures are commonly eaten there — but they are from the marsupial group of mammals that is mostly found in the country and has lost many species to extinction. The researchers' use of IVF to kangaroos' eggs and sperm may help support the conservation of those marsupials, said lead researcher and University of Queensland lecturer Andres Gambini. 'Our team built on years of experience working with reproductive technologies in domestic animals like livestock and horses,' Gambini told NBC News via email. 'By adapting these techniques to the unique biology of kangaroos, we were able to create an embryo in the lab for the first time.' The research will help scientists learn more about how marsupial embryos grow because the class reproduces differently to other mammals. '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.' Australia is one of the world's most biodiverse countries but also has the highest rate of mammal extinction. Australia's invasive species council says that since European settlement at least 33 mammal species have become extinct, with many of those marsupials. A historically high rate of extinction led the Australian government in 2022 to announce a ten-year, 'zero extinctions' plan to protect those under threat, reserving at least 30% of the country's land mass for conservation. 'If we keep doing what we're doing, more plants and animals will become extinct,' then-and-current Australian environment minister Tanya Plibersek said in the report. 'Even koalas are now endangered on the east coast of Australia.' Now, more than 2,200 species in the country are classified as threatened with extinction, according to a 2023 report by non-profit Australian Conservation Foundation. 'The laws that are meant to be protecting Australia's nature are failing,' the report said, adding that the country's major conservation policy as it existed then was 'barely monitored, rarely enforced and full of loopholes that allow businesses to destroy nature.' While kangaroos are not endangered, the University of Queensland researchers hope the latest breakthrough can help to preserve other endangered marsupial species native to the continent, including koalas, Tasmanian devils and northern hairy-nosed wombats. 'This work gives us a new tool to help preserve genetic material in endangered species,' Gambini said. 'By creating and freezing embryos, we can safeguard the unique genetic of these animals.' It's not the first time IVF has been used as a tool to preserve endangered species. Last year, scientists in Italy achieved the world's first IVF rhino pregnancy, offering hope for saving Kenya's northern white rhino — of which there are only two animals left on the planet — from extinction. They did so by transferring a lab-created rhino embryo into a surrogate mother. Still, the latest IVF breakthrough is just one step on a long road to a more comprehensive solution, Gambini said. 'There are many unknowns, as we are just on the beginning and there is lot to discover yet,' he said, adding that when combined with other strategies, 'it can make a real difference for species at risk.' This article was originally published on
Saudi Gazette
06-02-2025
- Science
- Saudi Gazette
Scientists produce first kangaroo embryo using IVF
SYDNEY — Australian scientists have produced the world's first kangaroo embryo through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), a breakthrough they say could help save other species from specimens from eastern grey kangaroos, the researchers successfully injected a single sperm cell into an egg, but said achieving a live birth would require more work and "technical advancements".The feat provides important insights into marsupial breeding and could aid efforts to improve the genetic diversity of endangered species such as the koala, Tasmanian devil, northern hairy-nosed wombat and Leadbeater's possum, lead researcher Andres Gambini houses the largest variety of marsupial mammals, but it also has the highest rate of mammal University of Queensland experiment looked at the growth of kangaroo eggs and sperm in a laboratory setting before creating embryos using a method known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).The technique, which is already used on humans and some domestic animals, was tried on eastern grey kangaroos that had died. The species was selected because it is not endangered and has existing high how iconic marsupial species are in Australia and the crucial role they play in its biodiversity, studies into their tissues have been limited, scientists say."We are now refining techniques to collect, culture and preserve marsupial eggs and sperm," said Dr Gambini, adding that such methods would play a crucial role in safeguarding "the genetic material of these unique and precious animals".IVF is being used as a tool to try and preserve endangered species the world year, scientists achieved the world's first IVF rhino pregnancy, successfully transferring a lab-created rhino embryo into a surrogate mother in Kenya. In 2018, IVF was also used to create the world's first donkey embryo. — BBC
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Australia creates first kangaroo embryo using IVF
Australian-based scientists have produced the world's first kangaroo embryo through in vitro fertilisation, hailing it as a key step towards saving endangered marsupials. The University of Queensland-led team said it employed the technique on eastern grey kangaroos – which number in the millions – with the aim of eventually using IVF for rarer marsupials. 'Australia is home to the greatest diversity of marsupial fauna on the planet but it also has the highest mammal extinction rate,' Andres Gambini, lead researcher, said in a statement. 'Our ultimate goal is to support the preservation of endangered marsupial species such as koalas, Tasmanian devils, northern hairy-nosed wombats and Leadbeater's possums.' Scientists produced the embryos using a technique that involves injecting a single sperm directly into a mature egg. 'Because eastern grey kangaroos are overabundant, we collected their eggs and sperm for use as a model to adapt the embryo technologies already applied to domestic animals and humans,' Mr Gambini said. 'We are now refining techniques to collect, culture and preserve marsupial eggs and sperm.' With the right collaboration, funding and technical advancements, an IVF-assisted marsupial birth might be possible within a decade, the researcher said. Overall kangaroo numbers fluctuate between 30 million and 60 million in Australia, and they are frequently culled to keep populations in check. The animals have a 'boom and bust' population cycle – when fodder is plentiful on the back of a good wet season, their numbers can balloon by tens of millions. But other marsupial populations are far more precarious. It is estimated that only 20,000 to 50,000 Tasmanian devils live in the wild, for example, down from as many as 150,000 before a mysterious, facial tumour disease struck in the mid-1990s. The kangaroo IVF research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Reproductive, Fertility and Development. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
CBS News
06-02-2025
- Science
- CBS News
First IVF kangaroo embryo claimed by Australia-based scientists
Australia-based scientists said Thursday they had produced the world's first kangaroo embryo through in vitro fertilization and hailed it as a key step towards saving endangered marsupials. The University of Queensland-led team said it employed the technique on eastern grey kangaroos -- which number in the millions -- with the aim of eventually using IVF for scarcer marsupials. "Australia is home to the greatest diversity of marsupial fauna on the planet but it also has the highest mammal extinction rate," lead researcher Andres Gambini said in a statement. "Our ultimate goal is to support the preservation of endangered marsupial species like koalas, Tasmanian devils, northern hairy-nosed wombats and Leadbeater's possums." Scientists produced the embryos by a technique that involves injecting a single sperm directly into a mature egg. "Because eastern grey kangaroos are overabundant, we collected their eggs and sperm for use as a model to adapt the embryo technologies already applied to domestic animals and humans," Gambini said. "We are now refining techniques to collect, culture and preserve marsupial eggs and sperm." With the right collaboration, funding and technical advancements, an IVF-assisted marsupial birth might be possible within a decade, the researcher said. Overall kangaroo numbers fluctuate between 30 million and 60 million in Australia, and they're frequently culled to keep populations in check. The animals have a "boom and bust" population cycle -- when food is plentiful following a good wet season, their numbers can balloon by tens of millions. But some other marsupial populations are far more precarious. It's estimated that there are only 20,000 to 50,000 Tasmanian devils in the wild, for example, down from as many as 150,000 before a mysterious facial tumor disease first struck in the mid-1990s. The kangaroo IVF research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Reproductive, Fertility and Development.
Khaleej Times
06-02-2025
- Science
- Khaleej Times
Australian team claims first IVF kangaroo embryo
Australian-based scientists said on Thursday they had produced the world's first kangaroo embryo through in vitro fertilisation, hailing it as a key step towards saving marsupials that are endangered. The University of Queensland-led team said it employed the technique on eastern grey kangaroos -- which number in the millions -- with the aim of eventually using IVF for scarcer marsupials. "Australia is home to the greatest diversity of marsupial fauna on the planet but it also has the highest mammal extinction rate," lead researcher Andres Gambini said in a statement. "Our ultimate goal is to support the preservation of endangered marsupial species like koalas, Tasmanian devils, northern hairy-nosed wombats and Leadbeater's possums." Scientists produced the embryos by a technique that involves injecting a single sperm directly into a mature egg. "Because eastern grey kangaroos are overabundant, we collected their eggs and sperm for use as a model to adapt the embryo technologies already applied to domestic animals and humans," Gambini said. "We are now refining techniques to collect, culture and preserve marsupial eggs and sperm." With the right collaboration, funding and technical advancements, an IVF-assisted marsupial birth might be possible within a decade, the researcher said. Overall kangaroo numbers fluctuate between 30 million and 60 million in Australia, and they are frequently culled to keep populations in check. The animals have a "boom and bust" population cycle -- when fodder is plentiful on the back of a good wet season, their numbers can balloon by tens of millions. But some other marsupial populations are far more precarious. It is estimated that only 20,000 to 50,000 Tasmanian devils still live in the wild, for example, down from as many as 150,000 before a mysterious, facial tumour disease first struck in the mid-1990s. The kangaroo IVF research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Reproductive, Fertility and Development.
