It is clear that, despite the best efforts of conservationists, thousands of extinctions have occurred before the animals could be rescued. There has not been enough knowledge or money to stem the tide. This pattern is being repeated across all animal groups and emphasises the importance of collecting the DNA and cells of endangered animals before they go extinct. The loss of a species destroys the results of millions of years of evolution. If the cells and DNA are preserved, a very great deal of information about the species is saved. There is even the possibility that in the future scientists will be able to reconstruct extinct animals from the preserved material. The Frozen Ark Project is not a substitute for conservation, but a practical and timely backup of the genetic material.

What will the database do?

The global database will be compiled using methods to ensure the integrity, compatibility and worldwide accessibility of the data. Listings will include the known endangered animals, the location and content of samples already preserved, and the species that need urgently to be collected within specified time-scales.

What will the research programme do?

The research will work out the optimal methods of humanely collecting and stabilising DNA from different animal species. It will also study new methods for the long-term preservation of DNA.

How many species do you hope to collect?

The IUCN Red Data Lists currently contain more than 16,000 animal species that are under threat. We aim eventually to collect the DNA of all these, and the viable cells (somatic cells, eggs, embryos and sperm) of as many as possible. As it is believed that these species will be extinct in approximately 50 years, the collections will have to be made before then.

What are the most important species to preserve first?

About forty species are classified by the IUCN as extinct in the wild yet held in zoos. They are the ones most urgently in need of sampling. The next animals in line are the 10,000 or so species that make up the Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable groups.

How long will frozen cells remain viable?

It is believed that, in liquid nitrogen at -196^oC, cell suspensions will remain viable for 100 years or more.

How long will frozen DNA last?

Recently the frozen remains of a mammoth were found in the Siberian permafrost. It was estimated that it had been there for 30,000 years, at an average temperature of -10^oC, but it contained DNA of high quality. If DNA is stored in liquid nitrogen at -196^oC as we plan, it should survive intact for many hundreds, and possibly thousands of years.

Where will the DNA be stored?

The samples will be stored in the institutions that make up the membership of the Frozen Ark Consortium.

To what future uses might the DNA be put?

The DNA sequence of an animal contains a great store of knowledge. It includes information about the specifications of the animal, its composition, development, behaviour, ecology and evolution. For animals endangered but not yet extinct, the stored DNA and cells can also provide renewable resources of variation for revitalising captive breeding populations when the loss of variation through inbreeding threatens their survival.

Will the resurrection of species from frozen samples ever be possible?

The recent progress in molecular biology has been so extraordinarily fast that we cannot predict what may be possible even within the next few decades. The cost of sequencing entire genomes is falling from billions of pounds or dollars to thousands, and it is expected to fall even further in the next few years. The genes that affect particular anatomical or behavioural characters can now routinely be isolated. The reconstruction of extinct species from frozen material is not yet practicable, but the possibility is not remote. If we fail to preserve the DNA and cells, the information and the possibilities will be lost forever.

Who is running the project?

The project is being run by the members of the Frozen Ark Consortium whose work is currently coordinated in the UK at the Frozen Ark Office in Nottingham. The office is directed by the Trustees of the Frozen Ark charity, helped by an Advisory Group that meets on a regular basis.

Hasn't this material already been collected?

Many institutions around the world store animal tissues but most of the storage methods are not suitable for the long-term preservation of DNA. Several museums, laboratories and zoos have collections of frozen DNA and viable cells, but few are aimed at endangered species. Very few samples have been collected from invertebrate animals.

Who is funding the Frozen Ark?

Donors who have supported the Frozen Ark are listed in the section entitled 'Support'. We still need funding to administer the charity, to help international efforts, and to create and maintain the database. Please see 'What we need' for information on how you can help.