Investigation
The research team develops projects related to animal production and the conservation of native breeds (or of a special interest breeds), and threatened wild species.
The laboratory of
Semen Cryopreservation and Germplasm Bank (GRB) coordinates the maintenance and management of the animal Genetic Resources Bank of the Department and develops works on the design and implementation of reproductive technologies in both, domestic and wild threatened populations.At the same time, studies are being carried out to improve the evaluation of the quality of cryopreserved seminal doses and to optimize freeze-thaw protocols for seminal doses conservation on different species.
The laboratory of
Livestock Reproduction is working in studies on the interaction between the environment, productive systems, nutritional and reproductive management, and individual characteristics of the animals with the productive efficiency in ruminant animal production. All this in the context of collaborations with professionals from the sector and European livestock farmers.
The
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Reproduction laboratory is generating a bank of genetic resources for the ex situ conservation of European mink (Mustela lutreola) thanks to the isolation of primary cultures from different tissues of specimens found dead in the different breeding centers as well as wild specimens. The European mink is included in the red list of endangered species in the category of "critically endangered" by IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature); it is considered a priority species of community interest, included in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive by the European Union; and it appears as an endangered species in Spain.