Scientists in North Dakota have announced that they are ready to increase the population of the rapidly disappearing orange monarch butterfly, which is listed as an endangered species in North America.
Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service in Fargo and the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that they have developed the first cryopreservation protocol for long-term storage of monarch butterfly sperm cells.
Scientist Courtney Grola said the study is the first to implement the technique of extracting sperm from males in insects. This is a common technique used in insects.
He added that this technique helps preserve the preserved samples in a viable and highly efficient manner after cryopreservation.
