LaCONES

ABOUT LABORATORY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES(LaCONES):

• LaCONES is an acronym for The Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species.
• Parent body: It is a dedicated Laboratory of CSIR’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad.
• Objective: To use modern biotechnologies for conservation of endangered wildlife (It supports both the measures of conservation i.e. in situ and ex situ measures).
• Project LaCONES was established in 1998 with support from (i) Dept. of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India, (ii) Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), Delhi, (iii) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and (iv) Government of Andhra Pradesh.
• The laboratory was itself established in 2007. It is India’s only dedicated laboratory for conservation of endangered species.
• CCMB-LaCONES is the only laboratory in India that has developed methods for collection and cryopreservation of semen and oocytes from wildlife and successfully reproducing endangered blackbuck, spotted deer and Nicobar pigeons.
• Through this work, it has established Genetic Resource Bank for Indian wildlife. So far, genetic resources from 23 species of Indian wild animals have been collected and preserved.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE GENETIC RESOURCE BANK

• It is India’s first scientific wildlife genetic resource bank.
• The genetic bank located at LaCONES, will preserve genetic material of Indian species which could be utilised to resurrect an animal species in case it goes extinct.
• It would also facilitate exchange of genetic material between the Indian zoos for maintaining genetic diversity and implementing conservation programs.

Prelims Question

Q. Consider the following statements regarding LaCONES:
1.The LaCONES, is a facility of the CSIR’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.
2.LaCONES is associated with the establishment of Genetic Resource Bank for Indian wildlife.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a)1 only
b)2 only
c)Both 1 and 2
d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to the Prelims Question