First national ‘biobank inventory’

Defra have commissioned Grassroots to carry out the first national inventory of cryogenically stored material for all native breeds.  This will include a full list of all the semen, embryos and other living tissue stored for all 130 UK native breeds of sheep, cattle, pigs goats and equine.  This information will be used, in conjunction with breed society pedigree data, to establish a risk assessment for all native breeds.  This will culminate in a report of  recommendations to Government to ascertain the need for a national livestock breeds biobank, in parallel with the longstanding systems for crop plants. 

Grassroots will be working closely with breed societies without whom this project would not be possible and with breeding companies, and umbrella organisations including RBST, the Sheep Trust, NBA, NSA, Nature Safe and others.