Australia is making unprecedented conservation efforts by creating a “biobank of life“ based at the University of Melbourne and the Victoria Museums Research Institute (Australia‘s Largest ‘Living Biobank‘ Developed to Safeguard Wildlife Species via Cryopreservation — Biobanking.com ).

This initiative, the first for an Australian museum, will begin with the collection of live cells from representatives of the country‘s wildlife. These cells, including skin, sperm and eggs, will be stored cryogenically to maintain the genetic material of endangered species.