Phenomics Australia supports research across a wide range of fields, extending beyond human health to areas including wildlife conservation, reproductive biology and emerging technologies in conservation science and de-extinction research.
Image credit: Emily Scicluna from the Pask Lab
A great example is a recently published study by Liu, Mtango, Scicluna, Ord and Pask, which addresses a major challenge in marsupial reproductive biology. With many marsupial species threatened or endangered, the development of reproductive technologies is increasingly important for conservation, genetic management and the future of threatened species.
The research focuses on the fat-tailed dunnart, a small Australian marsupial that is the closest living relative of the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine). This makes the species particularly valuable for researchers seeking to better understand thylacine biology and develop reproductive technologies that could contribute to ambitious conservation and de-extinction research.
Professor Andrew Pask, Chief Biology Officer at Colossal Australia, and his team at the University of Melbourne are leading efforts to develop reproductive technologies that address key biological challenges in marsupial conservation, including research that forms part of broader efforts to explore the possibility of bringing back the Tasmanian tiger. Their work represents a pioneering step in understanding marsupial biology and developing the tools needed for future conservation and de-extinction applications.
The Phenomics Australia Histopathology and Slide Scanning Node supported Prof. Pask and his team by providing specialist histopathology expertise and high-resolution digital slide scanning. These capabilities enabled the researchers to analyse ovarian histology, quantify follicle development and efficiently share high-quality digital data with collaborators.
“Our recent study developed a reliable superovulation protocol for the fat-tailed dunnart, overcoming a major bottleneck in marsupial reproductive biology by enabling the efficient recovery of large numbers of mature oocytes for assisted reproductive technologies and genome engineering,” Professor Andrew Pask, FSRB, Colossal Australia, The University of Melbourne, said.
Prof Pask highlighted the value of Phenomics Australia’s support:
“High-quality slide scanning and digitisation through Phenomics Australia were instrumental in this work, allowing us to comprehensively analyse ovarian histology, accurately quantify follicle development across treatment groups, and efficiently review and share data among collaborators.”
“The digital pathology workflow not only improved the quality and reproducibility of our analyses but also accelerated the study by providing rapid access to high-resolution histological data.”
The study demonstrates how advanced histopathology, imaging and phenomics technologies can support research well beyond human health. By helping researchers understand marsupial reproductive biology, this work contributes to a broader effort to develop tools that could support wildlife conservation, genetic preservation and emerging areas of science such as de-extinction.
The fat-tailed dunnart’s close evolutionary relationship to the Tasmanian tiger makes it an especially important model for this work. Research into its reproductive biology can provide valuable insights into marsupial reproduction and help advance the technologies needed to work with species that are difficult to breed or are no longer living.
Phenomics Australia is proud to support researchers applying advanced technologies to important scientific questions across diverse fields, from understanding reproductive biology and protecting threatened wildlife to exploring the possibilities of the future of conservation science.
