Research overview: somatic cell banking for felid conservation

Banking living somatic cells, such as skin fibroblasts, preserves an individual's full genome for potential future use in cloning or stem cell technologies. This overview surveys the collection, culture, and cryopreservation of somatic cells from felids and their storage in frozen zoos. It reviews how banked cells have supported cloning of species like the African wildcat and how they may underpin future reproductive technologies such as induced pluripotent stem cells. The review connects somatic cell banking to the long-term preservation of genetic diversity beyond what gamete banking alone can achieve. Understanding somatic cell banking illustrates how conservation biobanking captures whole genomes as insurance against the loss of irreplaceable felid lineages.