It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Tiny vibrating bubbles could lead to better water treatment
Fresh research into the physics of vibrating nanobubbles reveals that they do not heat up as much as previously thought.
Fresh research into the physics of vibrating nanobubbles reveals that they do not heat up as much as previously thought.
Vibrating nanobubbles have surprising uses as ultrasound contrast agents in cancer diagnosis. They can also be forced to collapse - destroying nearby microscopic contaminants - for waste-water treatment and surface cleaning of delicate microfluidic devices.
The stiffness of a nanobubble as it vibrates is strongly related to their internal temperature, and being able to understand this relationship leads to better predictions of their size in experiments and their design in these applications.
Using ARCHER2, the UK’s national leading supercomputer hosted at the University of Edinburgh, the researchfound two distinct nanoscale effects that influence bubbles with diameters less than one thousandth of a millimetre across.
The high density of the gas inside the bubbles leads to molecules bouncing off each other more frequently, resulting in an increased bubble stiffness, even at constant temperatures.
Another effect from the nanoscale dimensions of the bubble was the emergence of an insulating layer around the bubble, which reduced the ability for the bubble to dissipate the internal heat, which modified the way they vibrated.
The study revealed the true pressure and temperature distributions inside nanobubbles, using high-detail molecular dynamics simulations, and found a better model to describe their dynamics.
Study lead, Dr Duncan Dockar, RAEng Research Fellow, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, said:
“The results of these findings will allow us to employ nanobubbles for better efficiencies in water-treatment processes and precise cleaning of microelectronic devices.
“This work also highlights the roles of bubbles in future nanotechnologies, which have been seeing a lot interest in recent years. Our upcoming research focuses on the unusual nanoscale effects that influence these bubbles, which are not common in everyday engineering.”
The research, published in Nano Letters, was funded by EPSRC.
Two UCO research groups design a plasma (an ionized gas) reactor maintained by microwaves that makes it possible to decontaminate waters with high concentrations of dye
Plasma is an ionized gas - that is, a gas containing electrons, ions, atoms, molecules, radicals, and photons. It is often called the fourth state of matter and, surprisingly, it permeates everything. Plasmas, which are artificially generated by transmitting energy to a gas, are found in the fluorescent tubes that light kitchens, but they have also allowed mobiles to become smaller and smaller.
Plasma has been a veritable revolution in the world of technology. Before, to engrave the circuits on the silicon plates used in electronic devices like mobile phones, it was necessary to use polluting chemical products. Now, the use of plasma has made it possible to do this more cleanly and precisely, it being possible to make the slits smaller and smaller, and, with them, the devices.
But plasma has other applications too, such as water treatment. The FQM-136 Physics of Plasmas and FQM-346 Organic Catalysis and Nanostructured Materials groups at the University of Cordoba collaborated on a research study whose purpose was the elimination of contaminants present in water by applying plasma to promote chemical processes.
With the aim of tackling the problem of the increasing presence of organic pollutants in waters, such as dyes and other compounds from agricultural and industrial activity in waters that destabilize ecosystems, these researchers opted for the application of plasma.
This was achieved by altering the design of the surfatron, the metal device that mixes the energy from a microwave generator with the plasma to maintain it. "What we've done is to place a small piece of silicon in the quartz discharge tube, allowing a different plasma to be generated, one that is not filamentary and is more efficient at creating active species when interacting with water," explained Professor María C. García. The aforementioned plasma components, when interacting with water, generate oxidizing species capable of degrading organic compounds and killing microorganisms, which allows this plasma reactor to be used in applications related to water remediation.
This new configuration, therefore, expands the applicability of this type of plasmas. "The design completely changes the configuration of the electromagnetic field generated by the surfatron to create the plasma, resulting in plasma with different and more efficient properties, also eliminating the problem of filamentation (the division of the plasma column into many filaments), which destabilizes it," explained Professor García.
And then...decontamination. "Those oxidizing species generated due to the action of plasma are very reactive and make it possible to destroy the organic matter inside the water," continued Professor Francisco J. Romero. For this to happen, the plasma is not introduced into the water. Rather it is made to act remotely, so that between the water and the plasma there is a zone of air where numerous reactions occur due to collisions between the excited species and the molecules of oxygen, nitrogen and water vapor, and "reactive species that diffuse into the liquid and end up with the contaminants" are generated.
The decontaminating potential of this type of plasma, generated with this new design "has been tested to reduce high concentrations of methylene blue dye in water, with very efficient results in terms of energy, achieving the complete elimination of the dye at reduced treatment times," said researcher Juan Amaro.
Thus, with this work progress is made on one of the applications of plasma, that "fourth state of matter" created by providing a stable gas with energy and converting it into an ionized gas, with this being applicable to almost everything: manufacturing microchips, disinfecting surfaces, healing wounds, depositing anti-reflective coatings on glasses, improving seed germination, recovering waste, activating the surface of plastics to achieve better paint adhesion, and countless other applications.
Reference
Amaro-Gahete J, Romero-Salguero FJ, Garcia MC. Modified surfatron device to improve the microwave-plasma-assisted generation of RONS and methylene blue degradation in water. Chemosphere. 2024 Feb;349:140820. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140820.
With over 2,780 fishing ports and 993 commercial and industrial ports, Japan faces the challenge of safeguarding these important coastal assets from the destructive forces of tsunamis. A promising solution lies in the form of a movable barrier system, where gates rising from the seafloor act as barriers, protecting ports against tsunamis, storm surges and high waves. However, during natural disasters, power outages may disrupt the electricity needed to operate the gate.
To address this, researchers led by Professor Hiroshi Takagi from Tokyo Institute of Technology have proposed a self-powered movable seawall system (SMS) that uses microtidal energy to operate the gates. The proposed system, whose details have been published online in the journal Renewable Energy on 6 November 2023, consists of gates placed at the port entrance designed to close during periods of port inactivity such as nighttime or holiday seasons. When raised, the differences in water levels between the inside and outside of the port are used to generate electricity, which is then stored and utilized for subsequent gate operations.
“To our knowledge, there is yet no system in the world that uses movable seawalls to generate electricity and then uses that electricity to operate the system itself. In this sense, SMS is a completely new concept,” says Prof. Takagi.
Despite Japan’s extensive coastline, the tidal ranges—representing the height difference between high and low tides—are considered too small for large-scale tidal power generation. In contrast, the SMS system harnesses microtidal amplitudes in the sea level, which ranges from 10 cm to 150 cm during spring tides. The system consists of a series of gates with a 30 cm gap that aims to operate the adjacent gates smoothly without interaction and small turbines for power generation housed within the gap. Turbines, with one propeller per 50 cm interval vertically, are placed in the gaps between the gates.
The researchers tested the system's feasibility in Japanese ports, where it operates for eight hours a day, to determine if it can generate enough electricity to restore the gates under the seafloor after the tsunami alert was lifted, considering a buoyant force of floating gate. Out of 56 assessed ports across Japan, nine locations were highly feasible, 14 feasible, and 33 unfeasible due to small potential of energy generation. However, 20 feasible locations were identified along Japan’s western coast, facing the Nankai Trough—a subduction zone known as the source of megathrust earthquakes that occur every century or two. These seismic events have the potential to trigger tsunamis, making the proposed SMS system a promising protective measure for vulnerable ports and their hinterlands.
Furthermore, the researchers identified specific ports, including Himeji and Fukuyama, as examples of favorable locations for generating surplus energy which can be stored for later use. These areas, located in the Seto Inland Sea, serve as major industrial hubs with steel industries, shipbuilding, chemical plants, and various factories. Apart from protecting these critical infrastructures against tsunamis, the proposed system can also provide emergency power to enhance the resilience of these industries in the face of disasters. It integrates disaster prevention with the utilization of renewable energy. “Our findings outline a synergistic system between disaster prevention and the use of renewable energy,” says Prof. Takagi.
While acknowledging challenges such as technical hurdles and restrictions by related laws and regulations, the researchers envision the SMS system as a global safeguard for ports against natural disasters, rising sea levels, and extreme weather, including coastal floods. Prof. Takagi concludes: “If the technology of the proposed movable tsunami barrier, under the harsh disaster conditions in Japan, can be firmly established through this research, there is no doubt that a day will come when this technology can be exported and deployed overseas as a groundbreaking disaster prevention technology.”
THE NEWBORN ESSENTIAL SOLUTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES (NEST360) INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE LAUNCHED PHASE 2 OF ITS GROUNDBREAKING MISSION TO REDUCE NEWBORN MORTALITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA WITH $65 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, THE CHILDREN’S INVESTMENT FUND FOUNDATION, THE ELMA FOUNDATION, AND GENEROUS INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
HOUSTON – (Jan. 24, 2024) – The Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST360) international alliance launched Phase 2 of its groundbreaking mission to reduce newborn mortality in sub-Saharan Africa with $65 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, The ELMA Foundation, and generous individual contributions.
Of the estimated 2.3 million newborns who die every year around the globe mostly from preventable causes, African countries have the highest rates of mortality. An African newborn has almost 10-times the risk of neonataldeath compared to a baby born in Europe or the U.S. Adequate medical care could ensure the survival of 75% of the estimated 1.1 million African newborns who die each year. By focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, the NEST360 mission is strategically aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically targeting SDG 3.2, the goal to limit newborn deaths to no more than 12 per 1000 live births by 2030.
“NEST360 is an international alliance of clinical, biomedical, and public health experts from 22 leading institutions and organizations,” said NEST360 co-founder Rebecca Richards-Kortum, a bioengineering professor at Rice University. “Improving quality for small and sick newborn care in NEST360-implementing countries and beyond requires a systems-change approach that cuts across all levels of care.
“This includes addressing the multiple clinical needs of the individual patient; ensuring the design, availability, and maintenance of appropriate equipment and sufficient clinical and biomedical staff at facilities across a district; and implementing national policies to support overall care.”
This second, five year phase of the initiative will build upon the progress achieved in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria during the initial phase (2019-2023), where the alliance, in partnership with the countries’ governments, improved the quality of care for about 100,000 babies admitted each year to the 67 hospitals implementing NEST360.
With a target fundraising goal of $90 million, this next phase will impact five key countries that together contribute to almost 50% of the newborn deaths on the continent. In Phase 2, the alliance’s reach will grow to 144 implementing hospitals, with expansion of the network to Ethiopia.
Newborns face very different chances of survival around the world, simply due to where they were born. Small and sick babies are especially vulnerable, as they can require around-the-clock care involving more than one medical device or procedures to sustain vital functions like breathing, thermoregulation, or to fight infection. Nearly half of all childhood deaths occur during the first four weeks of life, with the riskiest day being the first day after birth.
“I firmly believe that together, we can and must make this possible,” said NEST360 co-founder Dr. Queen Dube, Newborn Health Program Lead of the Department for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing at the World Health Organization. “What makes NEST360 unique is that they co-design a package of care with African governments to implement and improve newborn survival in their front-line hospitals.”
A collaborative effort of organizations based in Africa, the U.S., and the U.K., the alliance takes a strategic data-driven approach to improving newborn care in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Most approaches to small and sick newborn care have focused on single interventions, but most newborns will have more than one problem and, therefore, require multiple interventions,” said NEST360 co-founder Dr. Nahya Salim, a clinical pediatric specialist at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. “As a clinician, I have learned firsthand how important it is to have the right space, the right devices, adequately trained staff, and locally owned data to ensure every newborn can arrive, survive, and thrive.”
NEST360 focuses on three critical pillars to ensure implementation of a health systems package that encompasses not only the provision of life-saving equipment but also effective utilization and integration for sustainability:
1. Delivering Innovation: NEST360 deploys effective medical technologies suitable for low-resource settings. The aim is to identify existing devices for effective, rugged, and affordable use in these environments and, where needed, to accelerate the creation and scale of new solutions. Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies is dedicated to advancing technologies for global health and is a critical partner working on this pillar.
2. Establishing an Educational Ecosystem: NEST360 trains health care providers, including nurses, doctors, and biomedical technicians, in the operation, maintenance, and repair of critical newborn care technologies, working to integrate these skills into national curriculums for a sustainable health care workforce. The initiative has developed open-source educational resources, hands-on training programs for clinicians and biomedical engineers, and has established a unique cross-country model for sustainable impact.
3. Implementing Evidence-Based Care: A key to sustainable impact, this pillar involves data-driven approaches for improving quality of care and governmental buy-in. Monitoring and evaluation are crucial for identifying strengths and areas for immediate improvement, as well as for documenting a performance track record that can serve as a blueprint for implementing the NEST360 action model in other contexts/regions.
Having achieved coverage across all districts in Malawi during the initial phase of the program, the initiative’s 77 new sites in Phase 2 are planned in Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia ⎯ the latter being the most recent NEST360 partnering nation. The alliance’s expansion into Ethiopia builds on an existing national-level initiative, Saving Little Lives. NEST360’s robust network of stakeholders and its collaborative approach with African governments support sustainable, country-led change.
“Over the last five years, NEST360 has accomplished the seemingly impossible while ensuring that change is being led from within each country. We are excited to be a part of this program for the next five years and to see the positive outcomes that will outlive NEST360,” said Dr. Minnie Kibore , senior manager for Child Health and Development at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Kibore spoke on behalf of the NEST360 Funding Coordinating Committee, comprised of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and The ELMA Foundation.
“I am inspired by the transformative impact of the NEST360 international alliance. The commitment to reducing newborn mortality in sub-Saharan Africa through innovative solutions, strategic collaboration and a data-driven approach exemplifies the best of global health initiatives,” said Rice University President Reginald DesRoches. “The expansion of the NEST360 program reflects a profound dedication to systemic change, addressing not only the clinical needs of individual patients but also the crucial aspects of equipment availability, healthcare staff, and national policies.
“This initiative aligns with the core values of our university, emphasizing the role of education, research and innovation and evidence-based care in creating sustainable improvements in newborn health.”
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Richards-Kortum is Rice’s Malcolm Gillis University Professor, a professor of bioengineering in the George R. Brown School of Engineering, and co-director of the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies with Maria Oden. She is the 2018 U.S. State Department Science Envoy for Health Security.
Queen Dube is the Newborn Health Program Lead of the Department for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing at the World Health Organization. She has served as Chief of Health Services for Malawi’s Ministry of Health and as head of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, the largest tertiary hospital in Malawi.
Nahya Salim Masoud is a pediatrician, epidemiologist, senior lecturer and head of Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS)’s pediatrics and child health department; she is also a pediatrician at the Ifakara Health Institute. She has extensive research experience, including as a safety lead physician for clinical trials on the malaria vaccine since 2007.
NEST360 is an international collaboration between 3rd Stone Design, Addis Ababa University – Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa University – School of Public Health, Aga Khan University, APIN, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, Emory University, Hatch Technologies, Hawassa University, Ifakara Health Institute, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Kenyatta University, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Mekelle University, Northwestern University, Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, University of Lagos – College of Medicine, and University of Oxford – KEMRI Wellcome Trust.
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 4,574 undergraduates and 3,982 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction, No. 2 for best-run colleges and No. 12 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
World’s first successful embryo transfer in rhinos paves the way for saving the northern white rhinos from extinction
NEWS RELEASE
LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR ZOO AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH (IZW)
IMAGE:
BIORESCUE EMBRYO TRANSFER ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2024, IN KENYA
BioRescue, an international consortium of scientists and conservationists, succeeded in achieving the world’s first pregnancy of a rhinoceros after an embryo transfer. The southern white rhino embryo was produced in vitro from collected egg cells and sperm and transferred into a southern white rhino surrogate mother at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on September 24, 2023. The BioRescue team confirmed a pregnancy of 70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo. The successful embryo transfer and pregnancy are a proof of concept and allow to now safely move to the transfer of northern white rhino embryos – a cornerstone in the mission to save the northern white rhino from extinction.
On September 24, 2023, the BioRescue scientists and veterinarians, led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), transferred two southern white rhino embryos into Curra, a southern white rhinoceros, selected as a surrogate mother at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The oocytes used in producing the embryos were retrieved from Elenore, a southern white rhinoceros living in the Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium. The sperm used for fertilisation originated from the male Athos from the Zoo Salzburg in Hellbrunn, Austria. The oocytes from Elenore were fertilised in vitro by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and developed into blastoscysts at Avantea‘s laboratories in Cremona, Italy. For the embryo transfer in Kenya, the BioRescue scientists transferred two embryos to increase the chance of a successful outcome.
So far, the BioRescue team has performed 13 embryo transfers in rhinoceroses, three in Kenya and ten in Europe. Previously, an embryo transfer, which is a widely used technique in domestic species, has never been attempted in rhinos. BioRescue scientists developed the necessary techniques, by building on decades of their own research.
Currently, there are only two northern white rhinos left in the world: The female Najin and her daughter Fatu. Additionally, living cells from 12 different northern white rhino individuals are stored in liquid nitrogen. The last two females currently live in Kenya, at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where they are guarded and cared for day and night. Since 2019, the BioRescue conservation science programme produced and cryopreserved 30 northern white rhino embryos. These are currently stored in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius in Berlin, Germany, and Cremona, Italy, awaiting embryo transfer into southern white rhino surrogate mothers. The successful transfer of a southern white rhino embryo is a proof of concept that allows to take this crucial step – an embryo transfer with a northern white rhino embryo – for the first time.
The embryo transfer in this subspecies is entirely new ground as a veterinary and scientific procedure, and all protocols, methods and pieces of equipment had to be newly developed from scratch. As it is the established routine with all BioRescue procedures, the embryo transfers are accompanied by an ethical assessment conducted by Padua University. This was also the case in September, when all participants of the embryo transfer filled out a questionnaire that proposed any possible scenarios during the procedure, and attendant risks to animals and participants.
The vasectomised, sterile teaser bull Ouwan mated with Curra on September 17 and 18, signalling the ideal timing for the embryo transfer, which took place on September 24. After the procedure until November 2023, Curra was monitored on a daily basis in the enclosure at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. During this period, Ouwan showed no further interest in Curra, a first sign of a successful embryo transfer resulting in pregnancy. The BioRescue team was scheduled for November 28 to perform a pregnancy check in Curra, but the teaser bull Ouwan was found dead on November 22 and Curra was found dead on November 25. Apparently, extremely heavy rains led to a flooding of the surrogate enclosure and set free dormant clostridianbacteria spores. The dissection of the animals revealed a severe systemic infection by a clostridian bacterial strain and resultant intoxication by the bacterial toxin. It also revealed that Curra was pregnant with a 70 days old male foetus that was 6.4 cm long. Tissue samples of the foetus were collected and transported to the Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine and the Leibniz-IZW in Berlin, Germany. In January 2024, it was confirmed through the analysis of the foetus DNA that the pregnancy resulted from the embryo transfer.
When the BioRescue team arrived in Kenya on November 28, the preliminary results indicated an intoxication with the clostridian bacterial strains Paraclostridium bifermentans and Paenicolostridium sordellii. Immediately after the incident, the BioRescue team, including Kenya Wildlife Service, Wildlife Training Research Institute, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Safari Park Dvůr Králové formed a crisis team on site and established fast and effective measures to protect all current semi-captive rhinos including the last two northern white rhinos Najin and Fatu. The measures included a vaccination programme, quarantine of affected areas and fencing of new emergency enclosures.
The next steps in the BioRescue research programme included the selection and preparation of a new teaser bull. The bull will allow the scientists to know when a possible surrogate female is ready to receive an embryo implantation. The team also has to select the next surrogate mothers. After these steps, which will take several months, an embryo transfer with a northern white rhino embryo will be attempted.
The BioRescue research programme is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) over a time-period of six years with up to around 6 million Euros.
Quotes
Thomas Hildebrandt, BioRescue project head, Leibniz-IZW
“The embryo transfer technique is well established for humans and for domesticated animals such as horses or cows. But for rhinos, it has been completely uncharted territory and anything from the approach over procedure protocols to required equipment had to be invented, developed, tried and tested to be safe for use. Together with the team and many professional partners, I developed the devices that can actually find and access the required location where to insert the tiny embryo into a 2-ton animal. It took many years to get it right and we are overwhelmed that we now have proof that this technique works perfectly. It is bitter that this milestone is confirmed under such tragic circumstances with the death of the surrogate Curra and her unborn calf, but I am certain that this proof of concept is a turn of the tide for the survival of the northern white rhino and the health of Central-African ecosystems. It comes just in time to achieve a pregnancy for northern white rhinos: we want the offspring to live together with Najin and Fatu for years to learn the social behaviour of its kind. Although embryos can be stored in liquid nitrogen for a very long time, we are in a rush to bring a northern white rhino baby to the ground – with this proof of concept it can become a reality in two to three years. BioRescue is only so successful because we were capable to form such a great team called the BioRescue Consortium. Most likely this is one of the significant differences to other challenging conservation approaches.”
Frank Göritz, head veterinarian in the BioRescue project, Leibniz-IZW
“The veterinary team always strives to ensure the safety of the animals – and all humans – during procedures such as an embryo transfer in rhinos. This is a highly advanced procedure and far beyond the routine for wildlife veterinarians. The embryo transfer with Curra on September 24 was smooth and without any complication, as any of the BioRescue procedures in Kenya have been until now. As the responsible anaesthesiologist you always fear that one day something does not go according to plan with an anaesthesia for example. But witnessing the death of an animal you have worked with for so long for reasons that are beyond your control is depressing. We try to take control of every factor that affects the well-being of the animals, but in nature you cannot control everything and sometimes your plans are thwarted by heavy rains and a disease. It is very sad, but we try to look forward and to see it as a milestone for the BioRescue mission.”
Susanne Holtze, scientist in the BioRescue project, Leibniz-IZW
“BioRescue follows alternative scientific approaches for creating new offspring for the northern white rhinos and ensuring the highest genetic diversity of their future population. These strategies include advanced assisted reproduction and stem-cell associated techniques as well as – in the future – editing lost genetic information discovered in museum samples back into the gene pool of the sub-species. But all of these strategies converge at producing embryos in vitro and successfully transferring them into surrogate mothers to create a pregnancy. This is why the embryo transfer technique is so pivotal to the mission and the success is such a milestone for our project.”
Jan Stejskal, the BioRescue project coordinator, Safari Park Dvůr Králové
"With this successful embryo transfer, the BioRescue team has fully opened the way to the first northern white rhino calf to be born through artificial reproduction. As always, first we wanted to prove that our approach works with southern white rhino genetic material, as it is more available. By mastering this step, we can now use a northern white rhino embryo for the first time in embryo transfer. Our current success also shows the great potential that zoos have in saving endangered species, as all the embryos that led to this success have been produced thanks to the extensive collaboration of European zoos. When we as scientists and zoo experts work together with conservationists in the field, we are much more powerful than when we work separately."
Cesare Galli, CEO of Avantea Laboratories
“All endeavours have setbacks, and we have had our share of setbacks, but we are here today to proclaim that we have done something never done before. We can today confirm that DNA testing proves that the embryo we transferred into the uterus of the southern white female rhinoceros, Curra, had developed into a healthy well developed male foetus. This demonstrates that the process of in vitro maturation of oocytes, ICSI, embryo culture and cryopreservation performed by Avantea in Cremona, Italy is successful in producing embryos that will successfully mature in surrogate females. This information not only testifies to the viability of the process but shortens the length of time required to verify success, and no longer requires the birth of a calf. In the horse, the closest domestic relative to the rhinoceros, fetal losses are more frequent in the first 50 days than at any other period of pregnancy. The development of this foetus would indicate that the chance of a successful birth would have been greater than 95%. Because of this development, we feel that embryo transfer work can switch to the use of genetically pure, Northern White rhinoceros embryos without hesitation, fully one year earlier than anticipated.”
Barbara DeMori, Director of the Ethics Laboratory for Veterinary Medicine, Conservation and Animal Welfare, Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science
“BioRescue has established a blueprint for ethical monitoring of international conservation research projects. All steps of the BioRescue project are constantly scrutinised for compliance with animal welfare standards, scientific quality and safety for the people involved. There are events we cannot control, but with BioRescue we have established the highest ethical standards possible in conservation research projects. Continuous ethical monitoring is routinely made to avoid risks both to people and animals, while opinions and perceptions of public and stakeholders are included in the assessment process. The continuous development of successful ethical monitoring procedures of BioRescue can severely benefit other conservation research projects saving endangered species.”
Dr. Erustus Kanga, Director General of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
“Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is delighted to have been part of this journey for the last 13 years since the northern white rhinos (NWR) were brought to Kenya in the year 2009, and for being part of the great initiative of the BioRescue consortium over the last four years. The application of novel assisted reproductive techniques in an effort to save the northern white rhino from extinction has borne fruit with major milestones having been achieved in optimization of the embryo transfer procedures in rhinos. As the government agency responsible for wildlife in Kenya, we have received the great news of proof of concept with the successful embryo transfer undertaken on Kenyan soil at Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
The Government of Kenya through KWS, will continue to offer the required leadership and support to ensure success of the NWR recovery efforts as we get into the next steps of undertaking embryo transfer using the high valued NWR embryos. This is a great milestone in the preservation of the northern white rhino genetic lineage. It will contribute to the long-term vision of reintroduction of the NWR to their former range states as part of the global heritage.”
Patrick Omondi, Director/CEO of the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI)
“Now, after nearly four years of dedication to a common course by the BioRescue Consortium comprising scientists and conservationists from Kenya, Europe and Asia, a significant breakthrough has been made. The application of advanced assisted reproduction techniques provides hopes of preventing the extinction of the iconic Northern White Rhinoceros subspecies (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) from extinction. The collaborative partnerships demonstrated by the BioRescue Consortium has provided opportunities for increased specialised knowledge and expertise sharing. The successful embryo transfer in a rhinoceros, the first to be accomplished globally, provides proof of concept and allows the consortium to move to the next steps of transferring the already developed pure NWR embryos to the SWR surrogates at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. As an Institute, we look forward to the application of assisted reproduction techniques to other endangered species in Kenya and the world.”
Justin Heath, CEO of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy
“This is a huge milestone for all those that dedicate their lives to protecting endangered species, and I am particularly proud of the Ol Pejeta team for their unwavering care and dedication to the wildlife in our conservancy, especially the last two known northern white rhinos Najin and Fatu. To have lost the surrogate Curra and teaser bull Ouwan is a large blow to the BioRescue team, Ol Pejeta and the Kenyan people. It was inspiring how the combined team reacted to ensure the risk was isolated, including vaccinating, immunising and translocating within days.
While bittersweet, to have had the world's first pregnancy in a rhino after a successful surrogate transfer on Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a point of great pride for us all. We look forward to welcoming future surrogates’ rhino calves under the foothills of Mount Kenya very soon.”
Catherine Vancsok, Scientific Advisor of the Pairi Daiza Foundation
“Directly helping the northern white rhino survive in Kenya shows the crucial role zoological institutions play for the preservation of species. The Pairi Daiza Foundation has several projects running where financial means, human effort and scientific research coincide to help deliver conservation results. The procedures to extract ovocytes from Elli, the adult female southern white rhino female residing at Pairi Daiza, were an essential step in the conservation chain. The BioRescue team, the Pairi Daiza veterinarians and zookeepers made sure the herd of southern white rhino’s welfare was guaranteed at every moment. The in situ setback is unfortunately part of a long route that all of the teams involved have to experience to deliver ground-breaking conservation success. The Pairi Daiza Foundation trusts in the strength of human cooperation and scientific process to get nature, and the northern white rhino, back on its feet“.
Miriam Wiesner, Zoo Veterinarian Salzburg Zoo
“From the early beginning Zoo Salzburg supports the assisted reproduction of Southern White Rhinos and the project of BioRescue. We significantly want to contribute to the preservation of Northern and Southern White Rhinos from extinction. For us as a zoological institution it is important to show, that we can actively engage for conservation and protection of species. We are really pleased, that our breeding male “Athos” is the father of the transferred embryo!”
Quotes
Thomas Hildebrandt, BioRescue project head, Leibniz-IZW
“The embryo transfer technique is well established for humans and for domesticated animals such as horses or cows. But for rhinos, it has been completely uncharted territory and anything from the approach over procedure protocols to required equipment had to be invented, developed, tried and tested to be safe for use. Together with the team and many professional partners, I developed the devices that can actually find and access the required location where to insert the tiny embryo into a 2-ton animal. It took many years to get it right and we are overwhelmed that we now have proof that this technique works perfectly. It is bitter that this milestone is confirmed under such tragic circumstances with the death of the surrogate Curra and her unborn calf, but I am certain that this proof of concept is a turn of the tide for the survival of the northern white rhino and the health of Central-African ecosystems. It comes just in time to achieve a pregnancy for northern white rhinos: we want the offspring to live together with Najin and Fatu for years to learn the social behaviour of its kind. Although embryos can be stored in liquid nitrogen for a very long time, we are in a rush to bring a northern white rhino baby to the ground – with this proof of concept it can become a reality in two to three years. BioRescue is only so successful because we were capable to form such a great team called the BioRescue Consortium. Most likely this is one of the significant differences to other challenging conservation approaches.”
Frank Göritz, head veterinarian in the BioRescue project, Leibniz-IZW
“The veterinary team always strives to ensure the safety of the animals – and all humans – during procedures such as an embryo transfer in rhinos. This is a highly advanced procedure and far beyond the routine for wildlife veterinarians. The embryo transfer with Curra on September 24 was smooth and without any complication, as any of the BioRescue procedures in Kenya have been until now. As the responsible anaesthesiologist you always fear that one day something does not go according to plan with an anaesthesia for example. But witnessing the death of an animal you have worked with for so long for reasons that are beyond your control is depressing. We try to take control of every factor that affects the well-being of the animals, but in nature you cannot control everything and sometimes your plans are thwarted by heavy rains and a disease. It is very sad, but we try to look forward and to see it as a milestone for the BioRescue mission.”
Susanne Holtze, scientist in the BioRescue project, Leibniz-IZW
“BioRescue follows alternative scientific approaches for creating new offspring for the northern white rhinos and ensuring the highest genetic diversity of their future population. These strategies include advanced assisted reproduction and stem-cell associated techniques as well as – in the future – editing lost genetic information discovered in museum samples back into the gene pool of the sub-species. But all of these strategies converge at producing embryos in vitro and successfully transferring them into surrogate mothers to create a pregnancy. This is why the embryo transfer technique is so pivotal to the mission and the success is such a milestone for our project.”
Jan Stejskal, the BioRescue project coordinator, Safari Park Dvůr Králové
"With this successful embryo transfer, the BioRescue team has fully opened the way to the first northern white rhino calf to be born through artificial reproduction. As always, first we wanted to prove that our approach works with southern white rhino genetic material, as it is more available. By mastering this step, we can now use a northern white rhino embryo for the first time in embryo transfer. Our current success also shows the great potential that zoos have in saving endangered species, as all the embryos that led to this success have been produced thanks to the extensive collaboration of European zoos. When we as scientists and zoo experts work together with conservationists in the field, we are much more powerful than when we work separately."
Cesare Galli, CEO of Avantea Laboratories
“All endeavours have setbacks, and we have had our share of setbacks, but we are here today to proclaim that we have done something never done before. We can today confirm that DNA testing proves that the embryo we transferred into the uterus of the southern white female rhinoceros, Curra, had developed into a healthy well developed male foetus. This demonstrates that the process of in vitro maturation of oocytes, ICSI, embryo culture and cryopreservation performed by Avantea in Cremona, Italy is successful in producing embryos that will successfully mature in surrogate females. This information not only testifies to the viability of the process but shortens the length of time required to verify success, and no longer requires the birth of a calf. In the horse, the closest domestic relative to the rhinoceros, fetal losses are more frequent in the first 50 days than at any other period of pregnancy. The development of this foetus would indicate that the chance of a successful birth would have been greater than 95%. Because of this development, we feel that embryo transfer work can switch to the use of genetically pure, Northern White rhinoceros embryos without hesitation, fully one year earlier than anticipated.”
Barbara DeMori, Director of the Ethics Laboratory for Veterinary Medicine, Conservation and Animal Welfare, Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science
“BioRescue has established a blueprint for ethical monitoring of international conservation research projects. All steps of the BioRescue project are constantly scrutinised for compliance with animal welfare standards, scientific quality and safety for the people involved. There are events we cannot control, but with BioRescue we have established the highest ethical standards possible in conservation research projects. Continuous ethical monitoring is routinely made to avoid risks both to people and animals, while opinions and perceptions of public and stakeholders are included in the assessment process. The continuous development of successful ethical monitoring procedures of BioRescue can severely benefit other conservation research projects saving endangered species.”
Dr. Erustus Kanga, Director General of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
“Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is delighted to have been part of this journey for the last 13 years since the northern white rhinos (NWR) were brought to Kenya in the year 2009, and for being part of the great initiative of the BioRescue consortium over the last four years. The application of novel assisted reproductive techniques in an effort to save the northern white rhino from extinction has borne fruit with major milestones having been achieved in optimization of the embryo transfer procedures in rhinos. As the government agency responsible for wildlife in Kenya, we have received the great news of proof of concept with the successful embryo transfer undertaken on Kenyan soil at Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
The Government of Kenya through KWS, will continue to offer the required leadership and support to ensure success of the NWR recovery efforts as we get into the next steps of undertaking embryo transfer using the high valued NWR embryos. This is a great milestone in the preservation of the northern white rhino genetic lineage. It will contribute to the long-term vision of reintroduction of the NWR to their former range states as part of the global heritage.”
Patrick Omondi, Director/CEO of the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI)
“Now, after nearly four years of dedication to a common course by the BioRescue Consortium comprising scientists and conservationists from Kenya, Europe and Asia, a significant breakthrough has been made. The application of advanced assisted reproduction techniques provides hopes of preventing the extinction of the iconic Northern White Rhinoceros subspecies (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) from extinction. The collaborative partnerships demonstrated by the BioRescue Consortium has provided opportunities for increased specialised knowledge and expertise sharing. The successful embryo transfer in a rhinoceros, the first to be accomplished globally, provides proof of concept and allows the consortium to move to the next steps of transferring the already developed pure NWR embryos to the SWR surrogates at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. As an Institute, we look forward to the application of assisted reproduction techniques to other endangered species in Kenya and the world.”
Justin Heath, CEO of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy
“This is a huge milestone for all those that dedicate their lives to protecting endangered species, and I am particularly proud of the Ol Pejeta team for their unwavering care and dedication to the wildlife in our conservancy, especially the last two known northern white rhinos Najin and Fatu. To have lost the surrogate Curra and teaser bull Ouwan is a large blow to the BioRescue team, Ol Pejeta and the Kenyan people. It was inspiring how the combined team reacted to ensure the risk was isolated, including vaccinating, immunising and translocating within days.
While bittersweet, to have had the world's first pregnancy in a rhino after a successful surrogate transfer on Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a point of great pride for us all. We look forward to welcoming future surrogates’ rhino calves under the foothills of Mount Kenya very soon.”
Catherine Vancsok, Scientific Advisor of the Pairi Daiza Foundation
“Directly helping the northern white rhino survive in Kenya shows the crucial role zoological institutions play for the preservation of species. The Pairi Daiza Foundation has several projects running where financial means, human effort and scientific research coincide to help deliver conservation results. The procedures to extract ovocytes from Elli, the adult female southern white rhino female residing at Pairi Daiza, were an essential step in the conservation chain. The BioRescue team, the Pairi Daiza veterinarians and zookeepers made sure the herd of southern white rhino’s welfare was guaranteed at every moment. The in situ setback is unfortunately part of a long route that all of the teams involved have to experience to deliver ground-breaking conservation success. The Pairi Daiza Foundation trusts in the strength of human cooperation and scientific process to get nature, and the northern white rhino, back on its feet“.
Miriam Wiesner, Zoo Veterinarian Salzburg Zoo
“From the early beginning Zoo Salzburg supports the assisted reproduction of Southern White Rhinos and the project of BioRescue. We significantly want to contribute to the preservation of Northern and Southern White Rhinos from extinction. For us as a zoological institution it is important to show, that we can actively engage for conservation and protection of species. We are really pleased, that our breeding male “Athos” is the father of the transferred embryo!”
