# Safeguarding Genetic Resources of Aquatic Biomedical Models - Research Supplemental

> **NIH NIH R24** · LOUISIANA STATE UNIV AGRICULTURAL CENTER · 2022 · $274,240

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
Within aquatic biomedical models, thousands of valuable research lines are created and characterized
each year by numerous methods including mutagenesis, gene transfer, gene editing, gene knockout,
hybridization, and backcrossing. Among the five NIH‐funded aquatic stock centers, preservation of haploid
germplasm (sperm) is possible for three groups: zebrafish, Xiphophorus and Xenopus. Currently there is
no practical method available for preservation of diploid germplasm (e.g., embryos or larvae) for any
aquatic group. This problem is especially prominent for the sea hare, Aplysia californica, which because
of reproductive traits (non‐self‐fertilizing hermaphroditism) requires cryopreservation of early life stages
rather than sperm. The availability of cryopreserved diploid germplasm would greatly accelerate the
availability of numerous research lines by removing needs for screening and production of multiple
generations to produce homozygosity. Thus, the community needs for preservation and use of genetic
resources would be greatly advanced for all aquatic biomedical models by novel technologies for
cryopreservation of embryos and larvae, and this technology is essential for Aplysia. Therefore, our goal is
to develop novel electro‐cryobiology technologies to monitor and improve vitrification and cryo‐recovery
protocols for diploid genomes of aquatic biomedical models. The Specific Aims are to: 1) develop novel
technologies for ultra‐rapid monitoring (millisecond) of cryogenic processes associated with Aplysia
embryo vitrification; 2) use the novel monitoring technology to gain new insights into traditional
approaches for Aplysia embryo vitrification, and 3) expand the monitoring technology to allow interaction
with cryogenic processes to gain new approaches for Aplysia embryo vitrification. This work, although
focused on Aplysia for the supplement, would be useful for embryos and sperm of frogs, salamanders,
and fishes, and would provide preliminary data needed for future grant proposals to expand utility and
application. This supplement would be extremely valuable in advancing the parent award by adding
powerful new approaches (Aim 1) that would greatly accelerate our current conventional research (Aim
2), and it would provide us with novel tools to establish new approaches (Aim 3). The parent award (and
other R24 funding) has allowed us to assemble a unique interdisciplinary group with more than 15 years
of expertise in all aspects of this work spanning reproductive biology, cryobiology, engineering, and device
fabrication. This work can be completed within the current project year (entering Year 3), and it does not
overlap with work funded in the parent award or through previous supplemental funding.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10609341
- **Project number:** 3R24OD028443-03S2
- **Recipient organization:** LOUISIANA STATE UNIV AGRICULTURAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Maria Teresa Gutierrez-Wing
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $274,240
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-06-15 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10609341

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10609341, Safeguarding Genetic Resources of Aquatic Biomedical Models - Research Supplemental (3R24OD028443-03S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10609341. Licensed CC0.

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