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Saving the "library of life".

¹Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine 92717.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|November 15, 1992

Summary

Cryogenically freezing species from threatened ecosystems can preserve biodiversity for future use. This cost-effective method, utilizing local labor, could save vast amounts of genetic information, potentially enabling species resurrection.

Area of Science:

Ecology
Conservation Biology
Biotechnology

Background:

Biodiversity loss is a critical global issue threatening ecosystems.
Future generations may benefit from preserved biological resources.
Current ex situ preservation methods have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a broad program for cryogenically preserving species from threatened ecospheres.
To assess the feasibility and potential costs of large-scale species cryopreservation.
To highlight the potential for future biotechnological applications, including species resurrection.

Main Methods:

Sampling species from threatened ecospheres with a low sampling fraction (10^-6).
Utilizing local labor for cost-effective species collection.

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Cryogenic suspension of collected species for long-term preservation.

Main Results:

Estimated cost of preserving tropical rainforest species for a century is approximately $2 billion.
Cryopreservation can save more than just DNA, preserving high-content information for biotechnology.
This approach complements in situ and other ex situ preservation methods.

Conclusions:

A broad program of species cryopreservation is a viable strategy to safeguard biodiversity.
Cost-effective methods, including local labor and reduced sampling, make this proposal more accessible.
Preserved genetic material holds potential for future biotechnological advancements and the revival of extinct species.