Independent TV
Showing now | Climate
01:19
UK’s first ‘biobank’ archives samples from endangered species in effort to protect biodiversity
The UK’s first-ever biobank is a collection of biological samples taken from endangered species at zoos, museums and research institutions in an effort to protect the planet’s diminishing biodiversity.
Scientists are given access to the massive archive of tissue, cells and DNA, allowing them to conduct research and conservation planning.
The video shows researchers at Edinburgh’s National Museums Collection Centre taking a sample from a threatened red squirrel.
Scottish conservationists say they have already banked more than 8,000 samples, covering more than 1,000 species, including the critically endangered Sumatran rhino and Scottish wildcat.
