The endangered Visayan Tarictic Hornbill
Mandai Nature, a Singapore-based conservation organisation, is advancing science-based innovations for genetic rescue, wildlife health and species conservation. To date, they have banked biological samples from over 90 species for joint reproductive and research efforts and successfully demonstrated the biobanking-to-stem cell pipeline, particularly for primates. This work is essential for ensuring the health and sustainability of wildlife populations and contributes significantly to global conservation efforts.
With new funding from Revive & Restore, the team will now expand their focus to include the derivation and biobanking of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for endangered bird species native to Southeast Asia, potentially including the Philippine cockatoo, Negros bleeding-heart, Visayan hornbill, Vietnam pheasant, black-winged myna, and straw-headed bulbul. To support this ambitious work, the team will collaborate with Professor Manabu Onuma, a leading expert in avian reprogramming, to develop and refine protocols for deriving iPSCs from a variety of avian cell types, a challenge that continues to impede progress in bird conservation. This project led by Mandai Nature will contribute significant understanding of non-mammalian reprogramming for genetic rescue while advancing the broader field of avian stem cell research in collaboration with Revive & Restore’s ongoing programme.
Project Team
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- PI: Dr. Oz Pomp, Mandai Nature, Singapore
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- Co-PI: Professor Soon Chye Ng, NUS, NTU, Sincere IVF Center, Singapore
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- Postdoctoral Scientist: Dr. Nicole Tay, Mandai Nature, Singapore
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- Special Advisor: Manabu Onuma, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan
Project Partners
