By Rory McNelley, Staff Writer
Xavier’s Coalition for Reproductive Awareness (CURA) along with chair of the biology department Dr. Jennifer Robbins’ biology class took a tour of the Cincinnati Zoo’s animal IVF center, called CREW, last Wednesday
“This is the site of important conservation breeding and genetics research,” Robbins said.
CURA, an initiative started by President Hanycz, tackles the ethical concerns surrounding reproductive issues with nonpartisan events aimed to educate the student body and promote constructive dialogue.
The tour of the CREW center was intended to bring a new light to the reproductive ethics for the class and CURA and provide real world experiences for students. The scientists at the facility were a resource for the students to ask any questions they had.
The center focuses on four different species; rhinos, polar bears, exceptional plants — meaning those that cannot be used in traditional conservation methods due to their reproductive nature and imperiled cats.
The students got a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility learning about the challenges this type of research faces. For exceptional plants, the only way to preserve them is with liquid nitrogen. Because of recent government shutdowns, the facility has little-to-no access to the necessary chemicals and has lost many of their preserved samples.
The group of students was able to look at the technology they use to access fertility and monitor pregnancy in rhinos, visit a facility doing research on cats and meet some of the scientists that work in the facility.
“CURA was pleased to join Dr. Robbins and her class for a visit to Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research. This experience provided insights into reproductive technologies and their applications in both animal and human contexts,” Vice President of Health and Wellness and faculty advisor of CURA Jamie Baxter said.
The visit gave the class and the committee a new look into the world of reproductive application in animals. Students heard from the tour guide about animal birth control. In recent studies, scientists have discovered that many birth controls prevent the fertility of polar bears in the long run.
“When you think of ‘IVF,’ you probably think about humans, sperm and egg donation. IVF and fertility treatments can fulfill people’s dreams and can also provoke conversation about ethics. But many people don’t realize these same technologies are also being used in the animal world to breed threatened and endangered animals and keep up their genetic diversity,” Robbins said.
“(The visit) It also enhanced our understanding of reproductive biology, genetics and provided a greater awareness of ethical considerations with advancement in reproductive medicine,” Baxter said.
“The fact that Xavier’s biology department has roots at the Cincinnati Zoo’s research facilities provides amazing experiences for their students, both studying biology and other disciplines. I really appreciate how open their IVF clinic was to give us a private tour and help us embrace our curiosity as ambitious individuals hoping to enter the science fields,” senior biology major and student in Robbins’ class, Lola Perez, said.
“I also loved that CURA was invited too and I think this trip as a whole was the one of the many examples of how Xavier is committed to creating unique opportunities for students to learn and grow in an interdisciplinary way,” Perez said.