Stem Cell Technique Could Preserve Endangered Bird Species

Caltech researchers have developed a groundbreaking technique to freeze and preserve bird stem cells, offering a potential way to restore endangered species. The method enables scientists to culture, freeze, and later reconstitute avian stem cells—an advance that could one day bring extinct bird populations back to life.

The work, led by Caltech postdoctoral scholar Xi Chen in collaboration with Qi-Long Ying at USC and Carlos Lois, Research Professor of Biology at Caltech and affiliated faculty member of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, demonstrates proof of concept in several common bird species and is now being extended to endangered species in partnership with the San Diego Zoo.

Lois notes that preserving biodiversity has far-reaching implications for public health and ecosystem stability, emphasizing that “each animal’s role in nature has real consequences for human society.”

Read more on the TCCI for Neuroscience site