From m.hotte at inter.nl.net Thu Jun 4 05:22:52 2009 From: m.hotte at inter.nl.net (Michiel) Date: Thu Jun 4 08:20:39 2009 Subject: [FEL-L] Fw: ALTA newsflash - February 2009 Message-ID: Please visit the www.amur-leopard.org website with various updates on the homepage, including our latest Newsflash with events relating to both Amur tiger and Amur leopard conservation. Best wishes, Michiel H?tte - Zoological Society of London / Tigris Foundation - Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA) www.tigrisfoundation.nl / www.amur-leopard.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.breuckman.com/pipermail/felines-l/attachments/20090604/6430192c/attachment.html From lmorin67 at earthlink.net Thu Jun 25 16:09:13 2009 From: lmorin67 at earthlink.net (Laura Morin) Date: Thu Jun 25 16:09:08 2009 Subject: [FEL-L] Research request Message-ID: <380-22009642521913578@earthlink.net> list, For those facilities Or Vets that want to participate.. its worthwhile... First email: Hello, I am a research intern at White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Florida, and was wondering if your organization would like to collaborate on a project. Currently I am working with reproductive tracts from domestic cats to learn about different techniques involved with gamete preservation; the goal is to use this knowledge for gamete preservation/reproductive conservation for endangered cats in the wild as well as within zoos. If your sanctuary performs spay/neuter procedures to insure no unwanted litters are born, these tracts could be an incredibly useful learning tool as they would be used for experiments without causing harm to the animal. These organs are especially precious to people in my position that are enhancing a newly acquired skill because once standard protocols have been mastered from these types of trials, the success rate for preserving/breeding genetically important animals is likely to be higher. Hence, the reproductive tracts that would otherwise be discarded can provide invaluable information as a teaching device. Please let me know if you are interested in participating; I can gladly send specific information about the protocols that would be used or answer any questions you may have. Sincerely, Serena Barnes Second email: Hi. Thank you for getting back to me; I would very much appreciate if you forwarded my requests to other facilities. If you give me their information, I could also contact them so it would not inconvenience you. I attached a list of procedures that would be done with the donated organs and any gametes recovered from them for interested parties as well. My contact information: Serena Barnes, Research Intern White Oak Conservation Center 581705 White Oak Road, Yulee FL 32097 Phone: 260.414.0184 (work); 904.225.3376 (evening) Email: serenab@wogilman.org Website: http://www.wocenter.org/ Attachement: Male Gamete Rescue: Each testis is removed from its tunica and placed into a sterile Petri dish after weights are taken. The cauda epididymis contains the matured sperm that are able to swim and eventually fertilize an oocyte; this is located at the bottom of the testis opposite of where the organ is attached to the body. The caudal end and the vas deferens are removed and placed into a separate Petri dish with a prewarmed medium before being opened to allow the sperm to swim out. The concentration, motility, and forward status of progression are estimated, and good semen specimens are processed for freezing. Cryogenic storage: Appropriate stabilizing media is added to the sample before being stored in liquid nitrogen (-70C) until they are ready to be used. Sperm Morphology/Count: A portion of the semen sample will be added to a 0.3% glutaraldehyde fixing solution; sperm structure and possible abnormalities can be reviewed. In Vitro Fertilization: Sperm are incubated with an egg in a droplet of culture media and are allowed to attempt fertilization. Female Rescue: The ovaries are removed from the rest of the tract. Viable, immature oocytes will be taken from the ovaries and placed into a maturation media; mature oocytes can be placed in fixing solution made of salt or a tissue Gamete fixative for later evaluation. Cryogenic Storage: Oocytes are placed into appropriate stabilizing media before being stored in liquid nitrogen (-70C) until they are ready to be used. In Vitro Maturation: Oocytes are incubated at 37C with 6% CO2 overnight in specific media and are viewed daily for further development. In Vitro Fertilization: If maturation occurs, mature oocytes can be placed with sperm cells for a variety of trials, e.g. sperm penetration abilities, embryo production for the purpose of cryogenic or staining experiments, etc. Staining: A DNA stain is added to the oocyte to determine its developmental stage. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.breuckman.com/pipermail/felines-l/attachments/20090625/49b73da4/attachment.html