‘This needs to happen fast’: Scientists race to cryopreserve a critically endangered tree before it goes extinct
Scientists in Australia are in depth the tips of the shoots of a critical in danger of extinction to preserve its DNA in case the species disappears.
Only 380 specimens of the corner rod myrtle (Gossia Gonoclada) Stay in the wild, of which about 300 are concentrated in the city of Logan, in the south-east of Queensland. If scientists manage to cryoconserver a diverse collection of gene genes, they are likely that they can resuscitate it if it dies, researchers said.
The angle rod myrtle is a small tree that grows along the sailing lanes in the dry tropical forests of Australia. He has shiny leaves, square and mild and fleshy fruit stems that can be a food source for bats and birds, said Hayward. “There has been limited research on its ecological interactions, but it probably facilitates the stability and biodiversity of the banks,” she said.
A combination of loss of habitat, increase in temperatures and a fatal fungal disease called rust of myrtle has considerably reduced the number of myrtle plants to the corner rod in Australia since 2010. cause by the exotic fungus Austropuccinia Psidiiwhich attacks the newly cultivated parts of trees and shrubs of the Myrtaceae family, distorting the leaves of the plants, slowing their growth and reducing their fertility.
To save the extinguishing angle rod myrtle, scientists design a method to freeze plant tissues which can later regenerate a full tree whenever necessary. Although the seeds contain reproductive equipment, they are not suitable for this project, both because of their reduced fertility of myrtle rust infections and because they will probably not survive the long -term cryo -preservation, said Hayward.
In relation: “ This is our obligation towards future generations ”: scientists want thousands of samples of human poop for microbe “doomsday vault”
So instead, Hayward and Jingyin BaoA doctoral student at the University of Queensland, plans to preserve myrtle shoots of myrtle to the angle stem – the upper parts and active growth of the plant – at ultra -faible temperatures in minus 321 degrees fahrenheit (less 196 degrees Celsius).
This implies the cultivation of sterile shoots in a jelly and harvesting the tips before treating them with a cryoprotective solution and freezing them in liquid nitrogen, ABC News reported. Cryoprotective solutions protect vegetable cells during frost by minimizing the formation of harmful ice crystals, said Hayward. Without these solutions, water inside the cells would expand and the cells would burst; But with the solutions, the water becomes “glassy” instead, she said.
The method already works for the sweet myrtle (Gossia Fragestima), which is a small tree closely linked to angle rod myrtle. After frozen the advice of sweet myrtle shoots, Bao has reached a 100% survival rate and managed to push all the plants, said Hayward. “We pass this to Gonoclada With some success and still working to improve survival, “she said.
Once researchers land on a method for angle rod myrtle, they must always make sure that they have enough genetic diversity in their samples to repel a healthy population of trees.
“It is important that there is sufficient genetic diversity to provide the best chances of survival of species in the future, especially if there is a natural tolerance for rust of myrtle or the evolution of climatic conditions,” said Hayward. “Given the threats to this species in the wilderness due to the loss of habitat and invasive species Including the rust of Myrtle, it must happen quickly. “”
So far, Hayward and Bao have not found any sample resistant to diseases or climate in their sample, but the authorities of the city of Logan and their partners are working to identify resistant people, said Hayward. “We want to preserve the most diverse individuals, whether tolerant or not, to provide a base for future reproduction,” she said.
And it is not only the angle rod myrtle that must be preserved in this way, said Hayward. “We need Australia and the world to implement cryobanks to ensure that we can brake the diversity of … food and endangered plants for future generations,” she said.
