Frozen cells of endangered and other species are a precious genetic resource for scientists, including those of future generations.
The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) has begun installing cryopreservation tanks in different locations around the country to better support research on the causes of species' decline and efforts to preserve the creatures, such as by fighting infectious diseases that affect them.
Cryopreservation tanks are planned or have already installed at the NIES in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, as well as at separate locations in Okinawa Prefecture and Hokkaido, with decentralized management.
