At the L.K. Ernst All-Russian Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, embryos of unique Yakut cattle were obtained and placed in a cryobank for the first time in Russia, TASS was told in the press service of the institute. The work was carried out jointly with the enterprises "Yakut Cattle" and "Sakhaagroplem".
The Yakut breed, whose population is extremely small today, has exceptional genetic value. These animals carry genes that ensure survival in extreme Arctic conditions, phenomenal resistance to diseases, and high nutritional qualities of meat and milk. The preservation of this gene pool is considered critical for the country's biological diversity.
In the laboratory of experimental embryology, specialists carried out a full cycle of work: from the preparation of donor animals and the collection of oocytes to their fertilization, the cultivation of embryos in vitro, and subsequent cryopreservation for long-term storage.
Thus, an insurance fund of genetic material has been created, which will allow preserving and restoring the population of a unique Arctic breed of cows in the future.
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