Medical breakthrough: Australian scientists create 1st kangaroo embryo using IVF
What's the story
In a groundbreaking achievement, scientists from Australia have created the world's first kangaroo embryo through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The significant development was made possible by injecting a single sperm cell into an egg from eastern gray kangaroos.
However, the team admitted that further work and "technical advancements" are needed to achieve a live birth.
Conservation potential
Hope for endangered marsupials
The lead researcher of the study, Andres Gambini, said that this achievement could help in enhancing the genetic diversity of endangered species.
The list features koalas, Tasmanian devils, northern hairy-nosed wombats, and Leadbeater's possums.
Though Australia is home to a wide variety of marsupial mammals, it also has the highest rate of mammal extinctions in the world.
Methodology
IVF technique used on non-endangered kangaroo species
The University of Queensland's experiment studied the growth of kangaroo eggs and sperm in a lab.
The embryos were created using a technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), already used on humans and some domestic animals.
The technique was applied to eastern gray kangaroos, a species selected due to its non-endangered status and high existing populations.
Ongoing research
Efforts to refine techniques for marsupial reproduction
Despite the iconic status of marsupial species in Australia and their crucial role in its biodiversity, studies into their tissues have been limited.
"We are now refining techniques to collect, culture and preserve marsupial eggs and sperm," said Dr. Gambini.
He emphasized that these methods would play a crucial role in safeguarding "the genetic material of these unique and precious animals."