Understanding and Assisting Reproduction in Wildlife Species Using Microfluidics

Conservation breeding and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are invaluable tools to save wild animal species that are on the brink of extinction. Microfluidic devices recently developed for human or domestic animal reproductive medicine could significantly help to increase knowledge about fertility and contribute to the success of ART in wildlife. Some of these microfluidic tools could be applied to wild species, but dedicated efforts will be necessary to meet specific needs in animal conservation; for example, they need to be cost-effective, applicable to multiple species, and field-friendly. Microfluidics represents only one powerful technology in a complex toolbox and must be integrated with other approaches to be impactful in managing wildlife reproduction. The extinction rates of many different animal species are alarming.Understanding and assisting wildlife reproduction is crucial to reverse the extinction process. However, efforts are hindered because of lack of biological and fundamental knowledge, limited access to animals, challenging working conditions, and limited financial resources.Microfluidic devices developed for human and domestic animal fertility offer new possibilities to positively impact animal conservation, from monitoring of reproductive status to the production of gametes and embryos of high quality.Although some microfluidic devices are directly applicable to rare and endangered animal species, further developments will be necessary to address specific needs in wildlife reproduction.To be impactful, a new technology such as microfluidics must be integrated into a more comprehensive toolbox for biodiversity conservation.