Session 26: Assisted Reproductive Technology in Endangered Species Conservation

Session 26: Assisted Reproductive Technology in Endangered Species Conservation Moderators: Thomas Elliott & Dr. Liesl Nel-Themaat Fertility Preservation and Genome Resource Banking for Rare and Endangered Animal Species Dr. Pierre Comizzoli The ART of Conserving Endangered Species Dr. Barbara Durrant  Pierre Comizzoli, DVM, PhD Pierre Comizzoli started his career more than 25 years ago as a research veterinarian South America and Africa. He then completed a PhD in 2000 on in vitro fertilization in bovine and deer species. In 2002, he joined the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, DC to develop new cryo-banking projects on gametes and gonadal tissues from rare and endangered species. This also includes the coordination of reproductive monitoring and artificial inseminations in different species (including giant pandas, clouded leopards, or Eld’s deer). He is leading since 2007 a Smithsonian-wide initiative to improve the management and use of frozen bioma