Biobank contacts
and sample requirements
Biobanks within the AZA community may be able to accept biospecimens or share biospecimens with the zoo and research communities.
AZA-Accredited Zoos Biobank Contact Information
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Frozen Zoo®
With over 11,200 samples representing more than 1,300 species, the SDZWA Frozen Zoo® is one of the largest and most diverse animal biobanks. They have contributed samples to various successful genetic, reproductive, and stem cell technology projects for the purpose of population sustainability.
The Frozen Zoo® includes various repositories for different materials that are meant for different purposes. If you have a biospecimen that you’d like to donate, use the checklists below to ensure your biomaterial meets the biobank’s requirements before contacting the relevant personnel for donation information.
Sample Type: Living somatic cells for cell culture
Contact: Marlys Houck
Institution: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, California, 92027, USA
Position: Curator of the Frozen Zoo®
E-mail: MHouck@sdzwa.org
Biospecimen Requirements:
- Fresh tissue collected opportunistically either during a veterinary exam or within the first 24-48 hours post mortem.
- Tissue cannot have been frozen or placed in alcohol, formaldehyde or other preservative.
- Tissue must not be necrotic or beginning to decay.
- Tissue must not be dried out.
- Tissue should be placed in biopsy transport vials (provided by SDZWA) immediately after collection*. Shelf life of vials is at least one year in the refrigerator, several days at room temp. *In the absence of biopsy transport vials, tissue can be placed into vacutainers with no additive or other clean, air tight container such as a zip lock bag to prevent dehydration
- Tissue should be shipped at room temperature the same day or as soon as possible for arrival to SDZWA the next morning.
Preferred tissues:
- Small mammals, post-mortem: 6-8 mm skin biopsy, or trachea on small mammals
- Birds, post-mortem: Eye and trachea
- Birds, living: Blood feathers are the only recommended sample from living birds and would need case-by-case instructions
- Reptile, post-mortem: Eye and trachea
- Reptile, living: Tail tip from living animals if IACUC approved
- Amphibians, post mortem: whole limb, tongue, gonads
Sample Type: Living reproductive cells and tissues
Contact: Barbara Durrant
Institution: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, California, 92027, USA
Position: Director of Reproductive Science
E-mail: BDurrant@sdzwa.org
Biospecimen Requirements:
- Fresh reproductive tissue (testes with epididymis or ovary) collected opportunistically during neuter or spay or at necropsy.
- Ovaries must be removed from the body at necropsy as soon as possible and not to exceed 6 hours if the body is kept cool, sooner if the body is at room temperature or above. Ovaries from spay or necropsy to be placed in sterile normal saline in a plastic bag or sterile container with a tight-fitting lid and shipped overnight priority at 18-23°C.
- Testes with epididymis should be removed as soon as possible after neuter or at necropsy, placed in sterile normal saline in a plastic bag or sterile container with a tight-fitting lid and shipped overnight priority at ~4°C. Line the bottom of the shipping box with frozen cold packs and insulate the tissue from cold packs with several layers of paper towels to avoid freezing.
The Toronto Zoo Biobank
The Toronto Zoo Biobank was established over 30 years ago and is Canada’s most species diverse repository of cryopreserved living cells and biological samples. It contains a wide variety of sample types including sperm, embryos, somatic cells, whole blood, plasma/serum, tissue, and pollen.
The Toronto Zoo Biobank is currently accepting, from outside institutions, gametes and embryos from species enrolled in health monitoring or disease testing programs (e.g. zoo-managed) or from wild populations upon completion of appropriate disease testing.
Contact: Gabriela Mastromonaco, PhD
Institution: Toronto Zoo, 2000 Meadowvale Rd, Toronto, ON M1B 5K7, Canada
Position: Senior Director, Wildlife Science
E-mail: gmastromonaco@torontozoo.ca
Biobank Sample Types: Sperm, embryos, somatic cells, whole blood, plasma/serum, tissue, pollen.
Cells can be accepted from any source. Blood, plasma/serum, and tissues will be accepted on a case by case basis.
Biobank Samples from Outside Facilities:
The Toronto Zoo Biobank is able to accept gametes and embryos from any species enrolled in a health monitoring and disease testing program (i.e. zoo-managed, etc.) or from wild populations upon the completion of appropriate disease testing.
Other Biobanks in AZA-Accredited Zoos
The Pan-Smithsonian Cryo-Initiative
The Smithsonian Pan-Smithsonian Cryo-Initiative (PSCI) manages a network of biorepositories and collections aimed to collect, manage and share Smithsonian’s frozen biomaterials with high standards to better understand and sustain biodiversity.
The Cincinnati Zoo CryoBioBank
The CryoBioBank is a genome resource bank in the Cincinnati Zoo’s Lindner Center for Conservation and research of Endangered Wildlife. It contains thousands of germ cell samples representing hundreds of plant and animal species.
Zoo-associated Biobanks in other Zoo Accreditation Associations
European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Biobank
The EAZA Biobank is the primary resource for connecting researchers to available biomaterials by establishing a network of biobanking facilities for the European and Middle Eastern zoo and aquarium community. Their website has standardized instructions for submitting samples.
CryoArks is a UK network of zoological biobanks that maintains frozen collections of animal genetic material to be used in a wide range of applications to contribute to species conservation. See their website for more information on their community and how to donate or borrow samples.
