FAQs
Gene Banking
- What is “gene banking”?
- Gene banking is the preservation of an animal’s genes. ViaGen’s CryoSure™ gene banking service consists of three steps: 1.) We obtain a biopsy sample from the animal; 2.) We grow (”culture“) new cells in the lab from the biopsy sample to ensure that the cells are viable; and 3.) We prepare the live cells for long-term storage in liquid nitrogen, known as cryopreservation. Note that there is a very small chance that live cells cannot be recovered and grown from a specific biopsy.
↑ Back to top
- If I gene bank my animal, how long until I find out whether my animal’s genes have been successfully preserved?
- A ViaGen representative will contact you after approximately four weeks to confirm that your animal’s genes were preserved successfully.
↑ Back to top
- What if it doesn’t work?
- If the biopsy sample from your animal does not provide sufficient quantity and/or quality of viable cells, we will notify you. At that time, you will have the option of sending a second sample to us for processing at no additional cost, or obtaining a partial refund of the gene banking fee.
↑ Back to top
- How do I order your gene banking services?
- Call ViaGen at 888-8VIAGEN or 512-401-5900 and ask for Customer Service.
↑ Back to top
- Will the gene banking process harm my animal in any way?
- No. Obtaining a biopsy sample from your animal is a simple matter; your animal will normally heal within a few days. We recommend using your veterinarian for this routine procedure.
↑ Back to top
- What if my animal dies unexpectedly and I wish to gene bank it?
- Contact ViaGen at 888-8VIAGEN or 512-401-5900 and ask for Customer Service to assit you. Biopsy samples should be collected from your animal as soon as possible. ViaGen will specify which of the animal’s tissues should be biopsied. Ideally, the biopsy procedure will be performed by a veterinarian, so we recommend you contact your veterinarian to schedule this. Those biopsy samples should be refrigerated, NOT FROZEN, until they can be delivered to ViaGen.
↑ Back to top
- How do I know my animal’s genes are safe and secure?
- ViaGen places a premium on safety and security on your animal’s valuable genes. Our facilities are locked at all times, and can only be opened by authorized persons. Outside of business hours, our facilities have alarm systems to protect against intruders. Our facilities have automatic sprinkler systems to prevent fire, and generators to provide power in the event of a power outage. Most important, we store a redundant set of materials for each client at a second location.
↑ Back to top
- Who owns my animal’s genes once ViaGen has gene banked them?
- ViaGen establishes a contract with all clients that guarantees that the client will always own his or her animal’s genes. ViaGen will not culture, clone, transfer or dispose of materials that belong to a client without that client’s permission.
↑ Back to top
- How long does DNA last when preserved using your methods?
- Cellular DNA preserved in liquid nitrogen has been re-grown after decades, and could hypothetically be preserved for centuries.
↑ Back to top
- What if I want to transfer my animal’s genes to another company?
- ViaGen will prepare and transfer your materials to the company of your choice for a $250 processing fee.
↑ Back to top
- What if I decide I no longer want to preserve my animal’s genes?
- If you decide you no longer want to preserve your animal’s genes, simply notify us in writing and we will either return the materials to you or destroy them.
↑ Back to top
- What animal species does ViaGen currently gene bank and clone?
- We gene bank any non-primate mammal. We offer commercial cloning services for any livestock species, including horses. Please contact us if you wish to gene bank or clone other animals; our staff has experience in the cloning of multiple species. Please note that ViaGen’s reproductive services focus exclusively on animals; we are neither directly nor indirectly involved in any human cloning efforts.
↑ Back to top
- If I gene bank my animal, does that mean it will be cloned?
- No. Gene banking and cloning are separate services. Gene banking an animal with ViaGen does not obligate you to order our cloning service.
↑ Back to top
Cloning
- How does cloning work?
- The nucleus from a mature, unfertilized egg, containing a single set of genes from the female, is removed and discarded. It is replaced with an adult somatic (body) cell from the donor animal, containing two sets of genes (one from each of the donor’s parents). Following the application of an electrochemical stimulus, the egg/cell “couplet” fuses, and the resulting clone embryo begins to divide like a naturally conceived embryo. After a brief period of growth in culture, the embryo is transferred into a recipient (a female of the same species, generally in estrus or hormonally-stimulated) as in conventional embryo transfer. In a matter of months — whatever the natural gestation period is for that species — she will give birth to an animal that is genetically identical to the donor animal.
↑ Back to top
- Are animals that have been produced by cloning healthy?
- The majority of animals produced by cloning reach healthy adulthood. However, the incidence of health problems in animals produced by assisted reproductive technologies—such as cloning, in vitro fertilization, and embryo transfer—is higher than in animals produced by natural reproduction. The health problems that affect some animals produced by cloning, including malformation of the placenta and other organs, also occur in naturally conceived animals. As cloning scientists study these health problems and their prevention and treatment, they may contribute to improved veterinary care for all animals.
↑ Back to top
- Do animals produced by cloning have normal lifespans?
- Yes. The theory that cloning causes animals to be born “old” or age rapidly has been disproved. This theory was based on the fact that telomeres, which are caps on the ends of chromosomes, shorten as an animal ages. When the first adult animals were cloned, scientists wondered whether their telomeres would be the same length as the telomeres of the adult animals from which they were cloned—in other words, would they start life prematurely old. It turns out that cellular reprogramming during the cloning process re-sets telomeres to lengths that are normal for newborns. In short, the age of the donor animal (the animal whose DNA is used in a cloning procedure) does not affect the age or aging process of the new animal.
↑ Back to top
- Is an animal that has been produced by cloning physically and behaviorally identical to the “original” animal?
- Animals produced by cloning have the same genes as their donor animals, which is why we describe them as being like later-born identical twins. Also like identical twins, the new animals and their donors may have phenotypic differences, such as differences in markings. Such differences may be caused by natural epigenetic factors. Because genes influence behavior, animals produced by cloning and their donors generally have behavioral similarities, but they will also likely have differences, because behavior is influenced by experience and environment too. In short, the new animal may not be indistinguishable from its donor, but it will be the closest possible match.
↑ Back to top