The team from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish working with cryogenic sperm banking of Indian major carps and exotic carps, successfully completed their training at the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter. The objective of their training was to enhance their expertise in cryogenic sperm banking techniques, with the ultimate aim of establishing a similar cryopreservation center in Bangladesh.
Cryopreservation, the process of preserving cells, tissues, and organs at extremely low temperatures, plays a pivotal role in numerous fields, including agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology. By establishing a strong cryopreservation industry, Bangladesh aims to harness the potential of this technology to safeguard biodiversity, improve the quality of research, and contribute to the nation’s sustainable development.
“The training program was very effective as well as interactive,” said Md. Rafiqul Islam Sarder, lead principal investigator of the activity in Bangladesh. “The Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center (AGGRC) within the LSU AgCenter facilities has expanded and is operated by a knowledgeable team that was able to share their experience and lessons learned with us.”
“Many new activities such as biomedical research with frogs, sea slugs, salamanders, zebra fish, etc. are in operation, and we learned many new techniques like in vitro fertilization (i.e., test tube or culture dish fertilization) of salamanders, ultra-sound scanning of frog ovaries, vitrification of fertilized eggs or embryos of sea slugs, fluorescence microscopy, computer-assisted sperm analysis, high-throughput processing of sperm, sperm process mapping, and sperm cryopreservation mobile lab establishment and operation.” he added.
Furthermore, the LSU AgCenter utilized 3-D printers to make affordable or low-cost accessories for the preservation of sperm and embryos through cryopreservation.
“The 3-D printing mechanism was handy and would be useful in Bangladesh,” Sarder said.
The research team also had a meeting with Matt Lee, the Vice President for Agriculture and Dean of the College of Agriculture. During the meeting, they talked about the ongoing research projects in Bangladesh and explored potential opportunities for future collaborations with LSU.
“The vice president was keen to learn more about our Fish Innovation Lab research activity, and he expressed his interest to continue this research in the future,” Sarder said. “It was a fruitful training program, and many of the techniques can be used in our laboratory.”
The collaborative initiative is expected to have a far-reaching impact on Bangladesh’s scientific landscape, positioning the country as a regional leader in cryopreservation technologies and attracting international partnerships and investments. The cryopreservation industry holds immense potential for preserving biodiversity, enhancing agricultural productivity, and advancing medical research in Bangladesh.
