Project 'Poo Zoo': Using Animal Dung to Save Endangered Species at Chester Zoo

The 'Poo Zoo' Project

• 💡 Chester Zoo is pioneering a novel technique called the 'Poo Zoo' Project to protect endangered species.
• 🎯 The initiative focuses on harvesting living cells from animal dung to support conservation breeding programs.

Harvesting Genetic Material

• 🔬 The project aims to provide a non-invasive and cost-effective method for collecting genetic material from animals like elephants, giraffes, and okapis.
• 🧬 If successful, it could significantly increase the banking of genetic variation crucial for saving species.

Scientific Collaboration and Process

• 🤝 Chester Zoo is collaborating with the University of Oxford and the conservation group Revive & Restore on this project.
• 🧪 The process involves isolating viable cells from fecal samples, removing dietary remnants and bacteria, and optimizing separation methods based on cell and bacteria size.
• ⏱️ Researchers are testing the freshness requirements for fecal samples to ensure cell viability, experimenting with different timeframes from collection to processing.

Future Applications and Challenges

• 🧬 Isolated cells could potentially be cultured in a lab and transformed into sperm or egg cells, thereby enhancing genetic diversity.
• ⚠️ While the theory of converting cells into gametes has been proven in mice, this technology is not yet fully developed for fecal material in practice.
• 🌍 The teams hope this project will offer a scalable model for zoos and conservationists globally to advance endangered species safeguarding efforts.