Opened in 2021CENRE's Equine Germplasm Bank is a technical infrastructure supporting the breeding programmes of purebred equine breeds. Its purpose is to contribute to the ex situ conservation and sustainable use of equine genetic resources through the collection, processing, documentation and long-term conservation of genetic material.
Breeding programmes set out the conservation, improvement or promotion actions for each breed, under the responsibility of officially recognised breeders' associations. Within this framework, the germplasm bank makes it possible to preserve material from animals selected for their breed, zootechnical, functional, genetic or heritage value.
The material preserved may include semen, embryos, oocytes, somatic cells or DNA, always with the traceability and documentation needed to guarantee its link to the breed, the donor animal and the corresponding breeding programme.
The Bank opened on 4 November 2021, coinciding with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's conference on the conservation of equine genetic resources held at its facilities. Since then, CENRE has offered breeders' associations technical support to create core collections of genetic material, organise the collection and preservation of samples and, where appropriate, facilitate the sending of duplicates to the National Animal Germplasm Bank.
Relationship with the BNGA →
The work of CENRE's Equine Germplasm Bank connects directly with the National Animal Germplasm Bank (BNGA), which comes under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
The BNGA is part of the national strategy for the conservation of animal genetic resources. Its purpose is to maintain a safety collection of reproductive material from livestock breeds included in Spain's Official Catalogue of Livestock Breeds, reinforcing the conservation of genetic variability and the future availability of material of interest.
A representative portion of the material preserved by CENRE may be sent to the BNGA as a safety duplicate. This measure strengthens the protection of the collections, reduces the risk of material loss and aligns CENRE's work with the national strategy for the conservation of animal genetic resources.
EUGENA European network →
The conservation of equine germplasm is part of a broader framework of national and international cooperation. Within this context, EUGENA (European Genebank Network for Animal Genetic Resources) stands out as the European network of germplasm banks for animal genetic resources.
EUGENA brings together germplasm banks from various European countries under the umbrella of the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP). Its aim is to support the ex situ conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources in Europe, facilitating cooperation between banks, the organisation of information and the visibility of the collections preserved.
What is the usual working protocol? →
CENRE's Equine Germplasm Bank works in collaboration with purebred equine breeders' associations, which are responsible for managing the studbooks and running the breeding programmes for their respective breeds. Collaboration with each association makes it possible to define conservation priorities, select donor animals, organise the collection and preservation of material and build collections representative of the breed.