(MY) Frozen assets

[Guest guest]

Focus New Sunday Times

 

COVER STORY: Frozen assets

ELIZABETH JOHN

 

Nov 27:

--

 

Conservation has taken a whole new meaning in Malaysia with the

setting up of the Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank, writes ELIZABETH

JOHN.

SOMETIME next year, an old room in the tree-fringed, sand-coloured

offices of the Wildlife and National Parks department in Cheras will

make way for something not usually associated with the likes of

tigers, elephants and apes — a bank.

 

What makes this bank truly remarkable is that deposits can only be

made by a privileged few, while withdrawals come at a price and all

the bank's assets are frozen solid.

 

Welcome to the Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank where the vault is a

large freezer with deposits being bits of wildlife skin, blood, genes,

sperm and embryos stored at an icy -80º Celsius.

 

The genetic materials of every animal in captivity in Malaysia will

one day come to reside in this vault, and it will be known as the

Cryogenic Depository Centre.

 

The centre will acquire such material, authenticate it, and preserve

and utilise it for research, conservation and commercialisation.

 

Overseeing this mammoth effort are Khairiah Mohd Shariff, who heads

the department's ex-situ conservation division, and Dr Zainal Zahari

Zainuddin, the principal assistant director.

 

In his closet-sized room with books and papers piled on chairs and the

floor, a white-board filled with de-worming schedules, Dr Zainal

speaks about the project animatedly.

 

" The genetic resource bank has an enormous role to play. It's a

development everyone should be excited about, " says the veterinarian

who has served the department for 20 years.

 

Such a collection would indeed prove invaluable in the coming years.

It will enable researchers to classify endangered species more

accurately. This will result in improved understanding of wildlife and

more appropriate management plans.

 

When wildlife is accurately classified according to species and

subspecies, they can also be better protected under law.

 

A clear classification prevents confusion and seals the cracks through

which perpetrators of crimes against wildlife often escape.

 

Analysis of DNA material like hair and faeces could help the

department's veterinarians learn about the animal's reproductive

structure, population size, genetic diversity and home range — all

crucial to conservation planning.

 

The semen, eggs, embryos and cells preserved in the bank can also be

used to assist with another pressing problem — inbreeding.

 

Inbreeding adversely affects the growth and reproductive rates,

reduces the ability of a population to adapt to environmental changes

or fight diseases, thus compromising long-term survival.

 

Zoos often need stock from outside when their wildlife populations are

in danger of becoming inbred, explains Zainal and the much-needed

infusion of new blood could come from frozen semen that would be used

for artificial insemination.

 

Because of the bank of samples, the solution can now come in the form

of a vial of frozen semen. There may no longer be a need to transport

animals across continents.

 

Animals can also be bred using such methods for release in the wild

and for commercial purposes. A project already in the works involves

the endangered Malayan gaur, the Seladang.

 

A plan to start breeding this wild cattle species using advanced

reproductive biotechnology, including artificial insemination and

embryo transfers, is being worked out with the Malaysian Agricultural

Research Development Institute with the primary aim of reintroducing

them into the wild.

 

Being larger than the American bison, with a full-grown male able to

yield a tonne of meat, the Seladang is also viewed as a possible meat

producer.

 

This is where commercialisation comes into play.

 

Many other agencies and research bodies stand to profit from this bank

of frozen treasures, among them health and veterinary services.

 

Because wildlife health is highly intertwined with those of livestock

and humans, wildlife disease research using preserved samples may also

serve the health and welfare of humans and livestock.

 

Most importantly, and perhaps most immediately, material in the

genetic resource bank could be highly useful in crime fighting or

wildlife forensics.

 

Analysis of skin and bones can be applied to determine whether the

ingredients of balms, soups or stews came from livestock or from

endangered species.

 

Today, scientists can isolate the unique signature in the DNA fragment

of animals that show they are of specific species.

 

Just as savings in a normal bank earn interest, the department will

accrue such DNA sequences as a spin-off benefit from all those frozen

cells in its vaults.

 

When confiscated animal parts come into their possession, DNA

sequences can be made and compared with the stock in the bank in order

to confirm the species, tell if it is from the wild or a zoo, or even

trace the location from where it was taken.

 

The department has wanted to embark on the genetic resource banking

project for a while now but has been hampered by a lack of

veterinarians, says Khairiah.

 

Only when staff figures improved could work begin on many fronts.

Veterinarians have now begun systematically collecting genetic

material from animals in captivity with the help of various

institutions.

 

Apart from Mardi, the department is working with Universiti Kebangsaan

Malaysia on commercial farming of porcupines.

 

The Chemistry Department is carrying out much of the DNA sequencing

for the identification of species but will help the Wildlife and

National Parks Department boost its diagnostic capabilities by

transferring expertise to them, says Khairiah.

 

Much more work needs to be carried out before the bank takes shape.

Samples being collected now are stored at various institutions that

the Wildlife and National Parks Department is working with.

 

Khairiah and Zainal are also setting the procedures for the deposit

and withdrawal of specimens from the bank.

 

Once completed, the bank will be one of a few such centralised

facilities in the world, says Zainal.

 

" It is a step forward for the country, a practical application of

biotechnology and it opens many doors that were previously closed to

us in terms of research, management and particularly, crime fighting. "

 

Some may argue that these efforts take money away from much needed

conservation efforts like habitat protection but Zainal considers it a

furtherance of the cause.

 

" We should not block any path that could lead to a brighter future for

wildlife.

 

" These frozen samples aren't just for use today, they will be there

for us and those after us, to study, compare, use and learn from. It's

an investment for the future. "

 

Lab guys to the rescue

 

THE Chemistry Department may seem an unlikely defender of wildlife but

they are the people who can make or break a case against illegal

wildlife traders and traffickers.

 

Their lab-coat clad experts can tell if that chunk of meat confiscated

from a trader is from an endangered animal or whether a piece of tiger

skin is real or fake.

 

From the state-of-the-art, green windowed laboratory on Jalan Sultan

in Petaling Jaya, they help the Wildlife and National Parks Department

identify wildlife and fight poaching and illegal trade.

 

They also conduct sex typing analysis for birds of pure line species.

Being able to tell the sex of a bird, while they are still young and

do not manifest any outward signs of their gender, helps veterinarians

separate the male from the female.

 

It also allows them to be grouped according to breeding needs to

maintain the pureness of the line.

 

The scientists and support staff of the Chemistry Department's

wildlife DNA identification unit, under its biotechnology section

helps the Wildlife Department figure out where animals are from and

carries out sequencing of wildlife DNA for storage in its database.

 

DNA sequencing — which tells us the exact order of the building blocks

for a particular species that makes it unique — is what aids in the

identification of species.

 

Collaboration between the two departments began officially with a

letter of intent last year, says Chemistry Department director-general

Datuk Kee Sue Sing.

 

One of their most important projects together was the recent DNA

testing of 58 orangutan held in captivity in peninsular Malaysia.

 

Seven Sumatran orang- utan smuggled from Indonesia were found in two

animal parks.

 

They are now expanding their services by helping the veterinarians

identify hybrid animals, which are considered of low conservation

value, says Kee.

 

" We are among the pioneers in Southeast Asia for this kind of testing

and the case of the orangutan demonstrated this. "

 

Their success has attracted requests from other countries facing

similar problems.

 

A project to analyse elephant dung in order to determine population

size is now being discussed, he adds.

 

Kee says the Chemistry Department has gained a great deal from new

technology. In the past they needed a blood sample the size of a 20

sen coin for testing, today, a fragment of that amount would be

sufficient to nab a wrongdoer.

 

They used to need fresh meat, for identification but can now used

cooked meat or ornaments to determine the source.

 

" We are here to help and we pride ourselves in providing scientific

solutions to the challenges these agencies face. "