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Cryopreservation is the storage of live material at temperatures so low that all biological processes are suspended (-196°C).
We are developing methods for the cryopreservation of sperm, eggs and larvae of shellfish:
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Cryopreservation goes hand in hand with selective breeding. Cawthron has selective breeding programmes for the GreenshellTM mussel and the Pacific oyster. Cryopreservation enables us to store sperm and eggs from superior stock and create new offspring at will, without having to worry about conditioning the adults or ensuring that particular individuals are spawned at the same time. |
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The sperm and eggs can be stored beyond the lifespan of the parent: crosses that would not normally be possible can be made in the future. |
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Cryopreservation enables hatcheries to produce juveniles (spat) year-round without the costs of having to bring broodstock into spawning condition out of season. |
Cawthron maintains a nationally significant culture collection of micro-algae for New Zealand as well as a number of aquaculture species that are fed to shellfish larvae in hatcheries (see micro-algae production). Many of the species in the collection are unique and being studied for commercial and research applications.
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The ongoing maintenance of the cultures is expensive: Cryopreservation will make it cheaper. |
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There is a constant risk of strains becoming contaminated or lost: Cryopreservation is cleaner and safer than live maintenence. |
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Due to genetic drift, important aspects of the algal metabolism can change during many steps of sub-culturing: Cryopreservation maintains the original physiological potential of the stored strain. |
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