Genebank for livestock and aquatic species

The genebank collections are an insurance for 'calamities' in the (distant) future. On the other hand, the genetic diversity in the genebank can also be used in the short term to support breeding programmes of local Dutch livestock breeds which often have a rare risk status. In addition, the genetic diversity stored in the genebank can also be applied to the development of new breeds or breeding lines and is regularly requested for various research projects.

Development of and additions to the genebank collections take place in close collaboration with a large network of breeding organisations, individual breeders, stud- and herd books and commercial breeding companies in the livestock and aquaculture sectors.

The aim of the Dutch genebank is to regularly add genetic material to the gene bank collections for all relevant species and breeds, and to aim for a complete core collection for all Dutch livestock breeds and aquatic species. A core collection consists of sufficient genetic material to be able to restore a complete population after extinction, by genebank material alone. Periodically snapshots (limited number of doses) of commercial breeding populations are added to the genebank collections, or CGN takes the initiative to specifically collect genetic material for the genebank, for example of genetically or phenotypically unique breeds or donor animals.

Methods of cryoconservation for different types of genetic material (sperm, embryos, ova, ovarian tissue, primordial germ cells) are examined for each species and breed. Appropriate cryoconservation protocols are developed and optimised.