Biodiversity: the variety of all living organisms on Earth is essential for human survival. However, anthropogenic activities are causing the sixth mass extinction, threatening even our own species. For many animals, dwindling numbers are becoming fragmented populations with low genetic diversity, threatening long-term species viability. With extinction rates 1,000-10,000 times greater than is natural, ex situ and in situ conservation programmes need additional support to save species. The indefinite storage of cryopreserved (-196oC) viable cells and tissues (cryobanking), followed by assisted or advanced assisted reproductive technology (ART: utilisation of oocytes and spermatozoa to generate offspring; aART: utilisation of somatic cell genetic material to generate offspring), may be the only hope for species long-term survival. As such, cryobanking should be considered a necessity for all future conservation strategies. Following cryopreservation, ART/aART can be used to reinstate lost genetics back into a population, resurrecting biodiversity. However, for this to be successful, species-specific protocol optimisation and increased knowledge of basic biology for many taxa is required. Current ART/aART is primarily focused on mammalian taxa, however, this needs to be extended to all, including to some of the most endangered: amphibians. Gamete, reproductive tissue and somatic cell cryobanking can fill the gap between losing genetic diversity today, and future technological developments. This review explores species prioritisation for cryobanking and the successes and challenges of cryopreservation and multiple ARTs/aARTs. We discuss the value of cryobanking before more species are lost and the potential of advanced reproductive technologies not only to halt, but reverse biodiversity loss.
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