Initiative on Avian Primordial Germ Cell Cryobanking in Thailand.

Biobanking the reproductive tissues or cells of animals preserves the genetic and reproductive ability of the species in long-term storage and promotes sharing of reproductive materials. In avian species, the primordial germ cell (PGC) is one of the most promising reproductive cells to be preserved in biobanks, due to self-renewal properties and direct access to the germ line mediated by PGC transfer. To conserve the genetic resource of local chicken breeds that are of conservation importance, we systematically isolated two types of pregonadal PGCs from chicken embryos-circulating and tissue PGCs.