Every day, zoos, aquariums, and wildlife institutions worldwide collect and save animal samples such as blood, serum, and tissue, against future needs. Whether that future need is for genetic analysis, managing populations, fighting disease, or conducting research, it is critical to know exactly what sample types have been stored, how they are being preserved, and where the material is located.
Today, nonprofit Species360 introduced a cloud-based solution that helps veterinary teams and researchers track biological samples and the history of the animal they represent. Sample Storage is a new module within the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) and is immediately accessible by more than 1,200 zoos, aquariums, wildlife refuges, and research centers that comprise the Species360 member community.
"Millions of unique samples are at the core of our ability to care for and save individual animals and species, now and far into the future. ZIMS vastly improves how the zoo, aquarium, and wildlife communities manage sample resources worldwide," said Paul Calle, Chief Veterinarian and Vice President for Health Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society, and a member of the Species360 Board of Trustees.
Because Sample Storage is linked to animal husbandry and medical records already residing in ZIMS, it provides medical staff more insight to biological samples and the history of the animal they represent. Wildlife experts hope this contextual detail will help to support new discoveries.
"Philadelphia Zoo is home to more than 1,300 rare and endangered animals, and it is extremely important for us to participate in research and discovery to improve the care and conservation of these species. We expect ZIMS Sample Storage to make it a lot faster and easier to manage our samples, to share information across teams, and to support incoming research requests," said Jenna Heinze, CVT, Veterinary/Lab Technician, Philadelphia Zoo, and one of several Species360 members that provided feedback prior to this week's Sample Storage launch.