Wednesday September 23rd 2026
The Biobank Open Day (photo by RZSS)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Scientists, conservationists and wildlife experts gathered at Edinburgh Zoo to learn how genetic resources are being used to help protect endangered species.
Twenty-five representatives from wildlife institutions, charities and museums attended an open day on September 15, hosted by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) WildGenes Biobank.
The event gave attendees an insight into how biological samples are collected and preserved, and how genetic resources can support wildlife conservation, population management, research and breeding programmes.
Biobanks preserve vital genetic samples in frozen archives, creating a resource that can be used by researchers and conservationists to help protect species.
The RZSS said several species recovery programmes have demonstrated the potential value of biobanks, including work involving scimitar-horned oryx, Przewalski’s horse and Scotland’s critically endangered wildcat.
The event included discussions on sampling protocols, active conservation research and ways of engaging zoo visitors with biobanking.
The Biobank Open Day (photo by RZSS)
Staff from across RZSS contributed to the day, with vets, keepers and education teams sharing their expertise.
The importance of preserving samples from a wide range of species was also highlighted, with staff from the aquarium and butterfly house among those taking part.
Attendees also had the opportunity to feed Edinburgh Zoo’s giraffes.
Event organiser and senior biobank technician at RZSS WildGenes, Dr Cecilia Langhorne, said:
“As a leading biobank inviting peers to visit RZSS WildGenes and attend events like this open day are so important. They raise awareness of biobanking and its role in species recovery while helping build connections between those with shared goals. Ultimately this combination helps turn frozen samples into active lifelines for global wildlife conservation.
“We’ve seen first-hand the difference that integrating genetic information into conservation planning can make in improving the success of conservation outcomes. The more people who know and share in this work, the more samples we can preserve for researchers now and in the future.”
The RZSS said the open day was intended to raise awareness of the role biobanks can play in species recovery, while helping organisations involved in wildlife conservation build connections and share knowledge.
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