A WHITCHURCH bio-bank has been nominated for a prestigious prize which was launched by Prince William as part of efforts to tackle environmental problems.

Nature's SAFE, which was founded by Tullis Matson and running for just over two years, is working to save endangered animal species from extinction by preserving cells has been nominated for the Earthshot Prize 2023.

The Earthshot Prize was founded by Prince William in 2020 and it was designed to held find and grow solutions, including protecting and restoring nature.

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Nature's SAFE was first put forward by the group, Conservation Optimism.

Member Sofia Castelló y Tickell said: "We were very happy to nominate Nature's SAFE, which is part of Conservation Optimism's ConservationNOW network.

"Their work takes important practical action to safeguard the future of endangered species, and we wish them the very best for the next phase of the selection process."

Nature's SAFE has been supported by Chester Zoo, which is the largest in the UK and a leading conservation charity.

Head of Science at Chester Zoo, co-Founder and Vice chairman of Nature’s SAFE, Dr Sue Walker said: "Currently, there are 1 million species at risk of extinction.

"Nature’s SAFE is an innovative approach to bank millions of years of evolution quickly.

"It is a scalable solution focused on collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating live reproductive cells and cell lines from tissue that would otherwise be disposed of.

Whitchurch Herald: Nature's SAFE has been recognised for its work in helping with the conservation of endangered

"We are literally freezing biodiversity loss in its tracks until the landscapes in which these species thrive can be repaired and restored."

Nature's SAFE currently holds 477 samples from 173 species including sperm, ovarian and testicular tissue and skin.

To successfully safeguard the future of the animal kingdom it believes samples from at least 50 to 100 genetically distinct individuals from each species need to be secured.

Co-founder and bio-bank lead for Nature's SAFE, Dr Rhiannon Bolton said: "We join the Earthshot Prize vision, that by 2030, our natural world is growing, not shrinking.

"Traditional conservation methods aren’t working.

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"The natural world is still getting smaller.

"Sadly, for some species, it’s now or never, but Nature’s SAFE brings hope. 

"Our solution to this catastrophic decline in biodiversity is here now, and our charity model is easily scalable to reverse biodiversity loss, enabling us to make a huge impact by 2030."